Bedroom Habit Sends You to An Early GRAVE
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted December 24, 2022
As a kid, I’d get so excited in the days leading up to Christmas that it was IMPOSSIBLE to sleep. And on Christmas Eve? FORGET about it!
I tossed and turned and snuck looks at my comic books under the covers (praying my parents… and Santa… didn’t catch me being naughty).
But back then, the “cure” for my sleeplessness was simple… the BIG DAY itself. When Christmas night rolled around, I slept like a baby.
But as an adult, sleep problems aren’t always easy to resolve.
It can be hard to escape the stress in today’s fast-paced, always-connected world. And as a result, winding down to sleep at the end of the day can be challenging.
So clocking out in the morning with six hours of sleep under your belt might seem like a win. But I assure you, it isn’t.
Six hours of shuteye is NOT enough sleep for you or anyone else
In fact, not getting enough quality sleep can literally be DEADLY!
Experts estimate that 30 to 40 percent of seniors suffer from insomnia.
Now, you don’t need me to tell you how not getting enough sleep makes you feel.
In a word, it’s… TERRIBLE.
Your mind is muddled, your mood is shot, and your energy levels are running near empty.
But lack of quality sleep doesn’t just make you FEEL bad. It’s bad FOR your health. Over time sleeplessness raises your risk for various diseases.
And worst of all, it can drive you into an early grave.
When researchers tracked 480,000 volunteers for ten years, we found out just how bad poor sleep can be. Study participants who routinely struggled with sleep problems had a nearly 20 percent jump in their death risk.
Disturbingly, the TYPE of sleep trouble didn’t make a difference. The volunteers ran the risk of a premature death regardless if they were having trouble…
- falling asleep
- staying asleep
- waking too early
You see, when you don’t sleep well, you’re at a higher risk for stroke, heart attack, and blood sugar issues. Your body is affected on a metabolic level. And that makes you more apt to gain weight and develop diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
Plus, poor sleep… and feeling like something the cat dragged in the next morning… often leads to poor decisions like drinking and smoking more, giving in to sugar and carb cravings, and skipping out on exercise.
Aim for getting eight solid hours of quality sleep nightly to restore energy levels, refresh your immune system, and reset your heart and brain
So HOW do you get that good night’s sleep?
Something experts call “good sleep hygiene” can help.
Poor sleeping is often the result of bad habits. So instituting some new GOOD ones (and sticking to them!) can reset your relationship to shuteye.
This means…
- heading to bed at the same time every night
- staying away from TV, phone, and computer screens an hour before hitting the hay
- keeping the bedroom dark and on the cool side for sleeping
If you need some extra help, skip the sleep drugs. They typically only lead to a few additional minutes of sleep at best but come with all kinds of terrible side effects.
Try calming herbs instead, like chamomile, hops, and passionflower. And taking melatonin for a bit can help you reset your sleep/wake cycle.
P.S. Still having trouble sleeping? Research suggests that insomnia could be caused by this odd health condition.
Source:
“Insomnia symptoms and risk of cardiovascular diseases among 0.5 million adults: A 10-year cohort.” Neurology. 2019 Dec 3;93(23):e2110-e2120. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000008581. Epub 2019 Nov 6. PMID: 31694922; PMCID: PMC6937485.
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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