Stress & Sleep
SLEEP & REST TO FIGHT STRESS AND INFLAMMATION
Regularly sleeping less than eight hours exposes our body to chronic stress that will result in an increased abdominal fat. Obesity and diabetes develop if we regularly cut our night’s sleep short. By sleeping well, we reduce stress and inflammation, which in turn prevents a number of diseases.
Tips to Reduce Stress
- Be physically active, preferably every day
- Learn a relaxation technique
- Strengthen your social network: create some time for family, friends and colleagues
- Deal positively with stressful situations rather than ignoring them
- Hold family reunions and create a happy home
- Prioritise your sleep (see next column)
- Take short breaks and give your body chance to breathe out and relax
Tips to Sleeping Well
- Get up at the same time every morning, even when you go to bed a bit later and at weekends
- Do not have an afternoon nap, when you are already having problems to sleep at night
- Get out of bed if you can’t sleep and do something quiet instead
- Don’t consume coffee, tea, cola or chocolate in the last few hours before bed- the caffeine will keep you awake
- Don’t go to bed hungry
- Do not allow your children and animals in your bed
Lifestyle habits, can raise the risk for sleep problems. Not getting enough daily physical activity, being around lots of noise, taking longer naps, falling asleep outside the bedroom, watching long hours of television or having long hours of other types of screen time, using tobacco products, drinking alcohol and caffeine, and not taking in enough nutrients can all affect sleep. Reduce these if you want to sleep well.
