Sleep Is The Key To Success

New York City is a rough metropolis where the pace of life is normally, "MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!" Beyond New York City, we live in a world where alarms clocks are a requirement and many of us are sleep deprived.  We are often told that getting a good night's sleep is important, but here is why getting in those ZZZs is crucial.

We recently came across this great article in Sky Delta Magazine and wanted to share it with everyone:

Logging high-quality sleep is something Americans haven't yet mastered. According to the 2013 National Sleep Foundation Sleep in American Poll, 42 percent of people reported rarely or never getting a good night's sleep. General guidelines call for seven to nine hours a night, but if you sleep less than that, you can accumulate sleep debt, which will have adverse effects on your mental and physical functioning, says Natalie Dautovich, Ph.D., NSF environmental scholar.

The body and brain restore themselves during sleep, which is when numerous important functions happen. For starters, your body releases hormones at the beginning of the night, which is important for growth. More alarming? "Lack of sleep is a major cause of obesity and diabetes," says Robert S. Rosenberg, D.O., medical director of the Sleep Disorders Center of Prescott Valley, Arizona, and author of "Sleep Soundly Every Night."

Along with making sleep a bigger priority, employ the following five strategies to set yourself up for sound slumber:

 - Kill The Blue Lights: Computers, e-readers, and TVs all emit blue light, which can destroy your sleep. "That blue light takes your melatonin levels, which are building to help you sleep, down to zero," Rosenberg says. About 60 to 90 minutes before bed, turn these devices off. If, though, that's impossible, at least buy a pair of blue blocker sunglasses. Or download a free software called f.lux (justgetflux.com), which automatically dims blue light on electronics at night and brings them back up during the day.

- Paint Your Room Blue: Although blue light isn't good for you, the color blue is. People who slept in blue rooms got more sleep than when they slept in rooms painted other colors, according to a Travelodge survey.

- Be A Constructive Worrier: Rather than taking your problems to bed with you, set aside five or 10 minutes at 5 p.m. and use that time to write down your worries.
 
- Cut The Afternoon Starbucks: Caffeine is a major cause of insomnia, Rosenberg says. If you're having sleep issues, cut caffeine completely or at least stop drinking it at least six hours before bed.
 
- Follow The 20-Minutes Rule: If you've been tossing and turning for 20 minutes or more, remove yourself from the bedroom and do something soothing such as reading or listening to music. As soon as you start feeling sleepy, head to bed.