Sleepy Time

I read an article in the New York Times recently about sleep and the risk to our health if we just don’t get enough. There is significant research that links the lack of sleep with cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, premature aging, and weight gain.

A few years ago I had the fortune of spending some time in the Sahara desert and I remember feeling ready to go to bed really early, around 7:30pm or so. The reason was because there was no, I mean absolutely no, light!

When our eyes register that there is no light, a cascade of chemical processes begin and we start to ease into sleep. When we have bright lights, computer monitors, and TV’s bombarding us with artificial light that chemical process does not happen as easily.

So, to help yourself sleep better try turning down the brightness on your tv and computer as the sun goes down. Most monitors and tvs have a night time setting and they are well worth it to use. Also, make sure your bathroom lights aren’t too bright and shining directly into your eyes when you are brushing your teeth just before bed.

~Think Vitality

photo from dailycal.org