Page 108 - South Mississippi Living - October, 2021

HEALTHY LIVING
S leeping
Soundly
The Importance of a Good Night’s Rest
story by Luke Height
In a world where we are working hard in our careers, taking care of our family, running kids to practice, and maintaining relationships with colleagues, friends, and loved ones, we need to be ready for anything. We all know what it feels like to be groggy or fatigued and miss out on life’s vital moments. We also know life can be a real struggle when we aren’t well rested. That’s exactly why we need to get quality sleep.
We all want to get enough sleep, but many of us are having a hard time getting there. The truth is, life can be overwhelming. All of our responsibilities and endless task lists can leave us feeling like we can never relax. When we don’t work to switch out of overdrive, we are likely to burn out. Getting a good night’s sleep can be essential to making sure we can show up ready to face life’s everyday challenges.
Luckily, there are people out there working to discover the best solutions for us to optimize our sleep. Sleep Scientist Matt Walker, gives us valuable insight into how we can enhance our sleep so we can give our best everyday. He says:
Regularity: Have a routine of when you go to sleep and when you wake up.
Temperature: Keep it cool when you go to bed. 65 degrees
Fahrenheit is the ideal temperature.
Darkness: Dim down the household, stay away from bright screens before bed and darken the room the best you can.
Walk it out: Don’t stay in bed awake for long periods of time. If you can’t fall asleep, go do something and don’t come back until you’re ready for sleep.
Alcohol and Caffeine: No caffeine in the afternoon and evening. Don’t go to bed too tipsy.
Have a wind down routine: It takes time for your brain to settle down. Disengage from everything and do something relaxing before bed.
The reality is that quality sleep is extremely important. Start to implement some of these strategies to get quality rest so you can give your best!
108 | October 2021 www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living