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How do you know if you’re getting enough sleep?
Proper sleep is vital to a number of body functions. During sleep, memories are formed and hormones that help repair and regenerate your body are released. Hormones relating to stress and hunger are also regulated by sleep. The amount of sleep a person needs varies, but typically an adult will need around 7-9 hours for ideal daytime functioning and health.
Difficulty sleeping (falling asleep, waking up from sleep, etc.) is a common concern – some surveys have shown that up to 60% of adults report difficulty sleeping a few or more nights per week. The loss of even as little as one hour of sleep has been shown to decrease reaction time, impair concentration, and worsen decision making capabilities. Chronic sleep deprivation has been associated with mood disturbances, depressed immune system function resulting in increased risk of infections, increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, mood disorders, and memory loss.
To eat or not to eat? Scarcity and how it affects our health
It is easy in an age of never ending internet access to be completely overwhelmed with news of all the things that are happening. Scary things, interesting things, and unimportant things. Social Media options are so tantalizing! Does it ever feel like you have too many things to think about and not enough time to do so? Do you feel overwhelmed and unable to get it all done? There is something about having too much to think about and limited time and when I don’t have the time to digest the flood of information, I get pretty stressed out. Come to think of it, when I have too many things to do and not enough time to do it, I rush. I don’t plan well. Just thinking about the upcoming holidays, family get-togethers, and chores I need to do around my apartment- I can feel the rising panic. Sure, we could say that I have a lot of time to do this now, if I plan well. Unfortunately, extra time is a tricky thing to find in our schedules. We work, have other obligations, care for family members, and those that use public transportation spend a lot of the extra time getting from place to place. Kids have appointments. Time off is a precious commodity, if there is any left after sick days!
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