Sleep Is a Big Part of a Healthy Lifestyle

Getting enough rest is one of the most important aspects of a healthy lifestyle, right along with getting the right wholesome foods! Really good sleep and resting your body helps with so many different aspects of your body that you may not even know, so check these out:

Metabolism: If you’re not sleeping enough you may actually gain weight! When we sleep, our bodies go through various processes that process and store the carbohydrates we’ve eaten and also release hormones that affect our appetite.
Mood: This one may be obvious, we’ve all noticed ourselves or others get a little grumpy when we’re/they’re tired.
Disease: Your immune system may be seriously affected when you don’t allow your body the correct amount of sleep. It’s also been suggested that keeping your body rested may help you fight cancer - one of my doctors is a huge supporter of this idea. Yep, we need melatonin and we only get this when we sleep…in the dark!
Heart Healthy: Increased stress, hypertension and irregular heartbeat are all connected to serious sleep deprivation.
Safety: If you’re tired during the day, especially extremely tired, you’re putting yourself at risk for falling asleep while completing various tasks — including things like driving.
Learning: While you’re sleeping, your brain processes the new information you learned. Without sleep, you’re at greater risk for memory loss!

So, here are a few tips for making sure you get enough sleep through the night:
- Limit your caffeine (preferably, get rid of it all together)! If you’re still taking caffeine sometimes, make sure you don’t have any 3 - 5 hours before bedtime!
- Avoid daytime naps. If you need a nap, try to make it less than one hour and keep it before 3 P.M. If you feel the urge to nap, consider reading a book or popping in your favorite movie to keep you awake. Stimulate your mind!
- Try to keep a schedule of when you go to bed each night, and when you wake up.
- Minimize all the light and sound so that you can put your mind at ease at bedtime - get a cute little eye mask!
- Consider taking the supplement melatonin - check with your health professional to see how this may support you in your health journey.
- If you are hungry in the evening, simply enjoy a light snack before bed — never a meal!
- Don’t put yourself through strenuous exercise prior to sleep - strive to be done with your exercise routine about 4 hours before bedtime.

Always strive for 7 to 8 hours per night, although sometimes people may need as little as 5 or as much as 10. Listen to your body and follow its orders - sometimes you will have to change your schedule around a bit to accommodate what it requires!

So, without a doubt, you definitely need your sleep! While eating organic raw and living foods will give your body a jump start into being the best that it can be, you’re going to hold back the benefits if you deprive your body of the sleep it needs. It is all part of the self-care package to give your body what it craves. Make restful sleep a priority and not a luxury!