Sleep is another critical factor in this whole health thing.

Let’s do a mini Self Sleep Eval..

*How many hours of sleep do you get?

*Do you have trouble falling asleep? Why?

*Do you have trouble staying asleep? If so, what wakes you up?

*Do you snore?

*Does your partner snore?

You should be sleeping about 7-8 hours per night, falling asleep within 15-30 minutes, without arousals. Snoring, whether it's you or your partner interrupts sleep, even id you don’t fully wake up.

Obstructive sleep apnea and poor sleep patterns contribute to physiologic stress, which increases the secretion of cortisol.. cortisol is a steroid, steroids are known cause weight gain, fluid retention and increased blood pressure. Sleep apnea is also known to have an effect on the heart, kidneys, blood pressure and moods. Untreated obstructive sleep apnea increases the risk of congestive heart failure and diabetes.

Poor sleep that isn’t from obstructive sleep apnea, like insomnia, can be from lifestyle factors you may can manage easily.

#1 TV, phones and tablets

Turn off the television and tablets because of the “blue light“ in the electronic devices that makes the brain believe that it is daytime, altering the sleep wake cycle. Devices should be turned off 1 to2 hours prior to desired onset of sleep. Trust me, you can do it and you’ll be glad you did.

#2 Evening and night time snacks and drinks

You can I’m improve sleep if you avoid large amounts of caffeine or sugary beverages in the evening. It will get you all wired up and prevent sleep. It take 4-6 hours to process your last meal or beverage.

#3 Restless Leg Syndrome

That urge to move your legs that you can’t control. Or you wake up to a bed that looks like you tried to run a marathon in your sleep.  Treating that can literally change your world. This often goes undiagnosed because you don’t think to mention it.

Finding the link to improved sleep just takes the right questions. You can even get in-home sleep studies if you suspect sleep apnea, with no missed work or inconvenience!

#4 Hormones

Hot flashes? Need I say more? Hot then cold. Covers on, then covers off. This one, isn’t so easy to fix by yourself. However, we have a few options that can help you relief. (See our clinics below!)

Why do we care about sleep? When you are all snuggled in, your brain is sorting the events of the day and processing the events, storing them in the right place for later. You will be more disorganized and have difficulty functioning with each new day if the prior hasn’t been managed correctly. Oh and you will be grumpy, short tempered and headed towards things like diabetes, high blood pressure and even congestive heart failure…

Sleep deprivation is no joke, so get it evaluated. Apnea, restless legs, hormones, “restless mind” and deficiencies in things like magnesium can be identified and treated! It could be the missing link to health conditions, mental health and weight management.

Prestige Family Health Care in Maryland & Spring Valley Family Care in WV can offer consultations for sleep. Health Interventions.net has all the information. Go to the Health Corner to see the notes from today, get the contact information for those locations and read more health information!

Not local? Or need online convenience? NPcliniconline.comline.com