Healthy New Year's Resolutions

When you ask people about their healthy new year's resolutions you typically hear the same ones over and over again.

"I'm going to eat better"

"I'm going to work out more"

"I'm going to take up a new hobby"

"I'm going to lose 20 pounds"

Of the many new year health resolutions, the one you never hear enough is: "I'm going to get more sleep.".

The truth is, sleep is crucial for good health and we are not getting enough of it. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one in three Americans are not getting enough sleep. If you asked 1 in 3 Americans what their healthy New Year’s resolutions are, I wonder how many of them would say sleep?

CDC states that a healthy sleep duration is 7 hours or more per day. If you're among the 1 in 3 Americans not getting at least 7 hours of sleep per day, we recommend adding "get more sleep" to your list of healthy New Year's resolutions.

Easier said than done, right? For a lot of people it's not as simple as going to bed at an earlier time each night. The problem often stems from the fact that they physically can't get a good night's sleep despite their best efforts.

Does that mean fighting a never ending battle of insomnia? Of course not. With the right assistance, and an open mind, anyone can get into a routine of sleeping better at night.

In this post we'll guide you toward a good night's sleep, as well as explain the health benefits that come with it.

Why Getting More Sleep Should Be One of Your Healthy New Year's Resolutions.

• Mental Health

  More people should consider sleep as one of their new year health resolutions because of the profound impact it has on both mental and physical health. Sleep helps keep your brain and central nervous system functioning optimally. Your brain needs to rest so it can be ready for the next day.

  Lack of sleep can drastically affect your performance at work, as well as performing tasks in day-to-day life. It can also have a negative effect on your emotions, making you more irritable or more prone to mood swings. It impairs one's decision-making ability, as well as creativity and critical thinking.

• Physical Health

  Not getting enough sleep can negatively affect one's physical health as well. While asleep, the body can rest and repair to get ready for the next day.

  The body produces infection-fighting antibodies during sleep, which means getting more sleep increases your ability to fight off illnesses. The opposite is also true— those who don't get enough sleep are more likely to get sick and take longer to recover from illnesses.

  Studies show that lack of sleep can also be linked to weight gain and obesity. When you don't get enough sleep your body begins producing less leptin, which is a hormone that sends signals to the brain when you've had enough to eat. To make matters worse, levels of a biochemical called ghrelin are raised, which stimulates one's appetite.

  This combination can lead to overeating and thus weight gain. In addition, lack of sleep causes the body to produce higher levels of insulin after eating, which promotes fat storage. Talk about a brutal chain reaction!

  Getting More Sleep: Turning New Year Health Resolutions into Reality

  Now that you understand the science behind sleep and how it affects the body, it's time to talk about how to get more sleep. Healthy New Year's resolutions will never come to fruition if you don't have a plan in place.

  Others may tell you the key to getting good sleep is to turn off all sources of sound and fall asleep in a completely quiet room. We're not going to tell you that. In fact, we believe you should embrace the idea of using audio to get more sleep.

  Studies show that listening to audio like classical music can help people sleep, as can binaural beats. These types of audio help tune the body's internal rhythm to one that's more conducive to falling asleep and staying asleep. Another popular type of audio for falling asleep is nature sounds.

  Listening to music or other types of audio when falling asleep may be a challenge if you're sleeping with a partner who prefers silence. Your healthy New Year's resolutions shouldn't get in the way of your partner's well-being. SleepPhones®, the world's most comfortable headphones for sleeping, eliminates that problem. With SleepPhones® your partner can have peace and quiet while the audio helps you drift off into dreamland.

  For further resources on getting more sleep, please see our articles on Ways to Fall Asleep, Natural Remedies for Insomnia, and Binaural Beats and Sleep.

  Conclusion

  Sleep is among the most neglected healthy New Year's resolutions, and considering 1 in 3 Americans are sleep deprived, it's safe to say sleep is being neglected in general. Not getting enough sleep can have detrimental effects to one's mental and physical health, especially over the long term. With SleepPhones® and the right audio by your side, we can help get you back into a routine of sleeping 7 hours or more in no time.