Getting Your ZZZs

hours? 1/3 of our lives are spent asleep

A minimum of 10 hours for most age groups

Why… Heart Learning Immunity Weight Mental Wellbeing because we have to Adenosine Melatonin

 Accidents  Serious health problems  Dumbs you down  Low sex drive  Depression  Wrinkles  Forgetfulness  Weight gain  Risk of death  Impaired judgment about sleep

Just one week of insufficient sleep alters the activity of our genes, which control our response to stress, immunity, inflammation and overall health.

Sleep & your heart Blood pressure normally lowers during sleep Reduces plaque build-up in the arteries Inadequate sleep prevents the nightly dip in blood pressure Lack of sleep raises stress hormone levels Causes inflammation in blood vessels Can lead to clogged arteries and blocked blood vessels

Is a poor night’s sleep to blame? Sleep helps maintain a healthy balance of the hormones that make you feel hungry (ghrelin) or full (leptin).

What you can do to get a good night’s sleep

If after 30 minutes you can not fall asleep or go back to sleep after waking: GET UP! Try to reset your body’s signals for sleep by :  Decreasing your body temperature  Reading something boring  Keeping lights low  Writing down what is on your mind

 Sleeping in can feel great…but can also mess up Monday morning because it affects your biological clock.  Do yourself a favor and stick to a regular wake up and bedtime

Do you snore and also wake feeling un-rested?  Sleep Apnea is when breathing stops briefly during sleep when airway partially or completely closes  The amount of oxygen in the blood drops  Your brain wakes you enough to tighten the airway muscles so you can breathe again

Visit the TLC CommonHealth website at for more great sleep resources