Getting your Vitamin Zzzz...

“I need a nap.”

How many times have you either said this yourself or heard someone else say it?....

Ok, stop counting.

You get the point. The answer is a lot. Our parents all told us (or at least mine did) to get 8 hours of sleep each night. And while studies have shown that people do better with exactly that (7-9 hours nightly) (thanks Mom!), the best way to know if you are getting enough sleep is if you feel rested when you wake up and are able to make it through your day without falling asleep unintentionally. Unfortunately, it is estimated that over 60 percent of the population has some trouble sleeping a few nights per week.

Which means most of us aren't getting enough sleep. And sleep is a vital part of your health. A lack of sleep can lead to a multitude of issues. Initially in the mild stages of sleep deprivation, people tend to become irritable and have difficulty concentrating. In worsening situations, people tend to fall into micro sleep - when a person will fall asleep for 5-10 seconds at a time during the day. If you have ever been sitting somewhere and suddenly feel that you just woke up and don’t remember the past few seconds, then you have probably experienced this phenomenon.  These episodes become particularly dangerous while driving. Approximately 35% of the population experiences this every month. It has been said that driving while tired is as dangerous as driving while drunk.

So why do so many people have trouble sleeping? I blame Thomas Edison. People are not designed to be nocturnal creatures.  Before the invention of the light bulb, people would go to sleep when it got dark. Sure there were candles before this, but if you have ever done anything by candlelight you would know that if it wasn’t really important, it could wait until morning. Unfortunately, now we have light bulbs and can stay up until all hours of the night  - and sometimes don’t go to bed until the sun is coming up. This severely throws off our circadian rhythm (sleep cycle).

So how can you make sure you are getting enough sleep? Come to the Whole Health for the Whole Family seminar on August 29th at 1030am and find out! I'm joining up with two other holistic health professionals to provide one awesome, free seminar - where I'll be discussing small steps you can make in your daily habits as well as natural alternatives to prescription sleep aids to help you sleep soundly throughout the night. Every night.