SLEEP: THE OVERLOOKED KEY TO HEALTH & WELLNESS

When many people consider health and wellness, there is generally a focus on diet and exercise. While these two things are very important, it's also essential to examine sleep patterns and quality. Sleep allows the body to heal and restore and many neurological and physical functions are affected by length and quality of sleep. Think of sleep as me-time and include it in your self care plan. Not sure if you are getting enough quality sleep? Consider the following questions.

Do you fall asleep within 15 to 20 minutes of lying down? Do you sleep continuously (not waking more than once during the night)? Do you regularly sleep for a total of seven to nine hours? Do you wake up feeling well-rested? When you are awake, do you feel alert and productive throughout most of the day? If you answered yes to these questions, then you're doing well! If you answered no, try to figure out why and what you can do to begin fixing it.

Think about setting a schedule for bedtime and getting rid of bedroom distractions. Smartphones, televisions and other bright light sources trick your brain's sleep signals into thinking it's daytime and time to be awake. Ok.. ok.. we know that many of us will not stop looking at our phones in bed, but you can go to your settings and change your screen brightness to a night shift.

Sleep can be one of the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves to improve health and wellness, so keep on dreaming!