We all know that lack of sleep makes you cranky and irritable. It can also make you fat. I am a person who likes her sleep. I sleep 7-8 hours every night. There are many studies out there on sleep and perimenopause and menopause. Here are some of the other less-well-known reasons you need to sleep 7-8 hours:
- Lack of sleep gives you brain fog. Sleep plays a critical role in thinking and learning. Lack of sleep interrupts these processes. First, it impairs attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning, and problem solving. This makes it more difficult to learn efficiently. We have various sleep cycles and lack of sleep can cause memory loss, and learning disorders.
- Your sex drive decreases. Sleep-deprived men and women report lower libidos and less interest in sex. Depleted energy, sleepiness, and amped-up crankiness may be largely to blame. This can be a killer in a marriage!
- It’s depressing. Over time, lack of sleep and sleep disorders can contribute to the symptoms of depression. In one survey, people who were diagnosed with depression or anxiety were more likely to sleep less than six hours at night. Hot flashes and night sweats lead to sleep disruption. This can lead to those unwanted prescriptions for sleeping aids. It’s a viscous cycle, don’t get on the wheel.
- It makes you look old seriously. Most people have experienced eye bags after a few nights of missed sleep. But, chronic sleep loss can lead to dull skin, fine lines, and dark circles under the eyes. This can also be from allergies.
- It can kill you before your time. British researchers looked at how sleep patterns affected the mortality of more than 10,000 British civil servants over two decades. The results, published in 2007, showed that those who had cut their sleep from seven to five hours or fewer a night nearly doubled their risk of death from all causes. Cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer of post-menopausal women. I don’t know about you but I want to live a long life. You only get one temple so take of it!
Your judgment suffers due to lack of sleep, which can affect our interpretation of events. Sleep-deprived people seem to be especially prone to poor judgment. Our society keeps giving mixed messages about too little sleep. We are not super human and we cannot function on too little sleep. Have you ever drove home and when you pulled in the driveway can’t remember how you got there? Now, that’s not only scary but sleep deprivation.
When I’m working with clients I do an overall assessment of the whole health picture and sleep is usually an area that I focus on the most. Making a change in this area alone can affect the rest of your health wellness, both physical and mental. I am a holistic health coach specializing in essential oils and menopause. You can find more information about me and my coaching on my website at www.livinglifeholistic.com and be sure to sign up for my free smoothie recipes, tips and recipes!