All articles tagged with #consistent sleep schedule
Five evening habits to boost cardiovascular health: finish eating at least three hours before bed to improve glucose handling; keep the bedroom around 18°C; take 300-400 mg magnesium glycinate about 30 minutes before sleep; practice five minutes of slow breathing before bed to raise heart rate variability and lower cortisol; and maintain a consistent bedtime every night, including weekends.
Even slight fluctuations in bedtime—as little as 34 minutes—may increase a person's risk of high blood pressure, or hypertension, new research shows. Researchers found that people with irregular sleep patterns—like those who slept in on weekends or varied their bedtime and waking times during the week—were substantially more likely to have hypertension, compared to people with more consistent sleep schedules. The increased risk of high blood pressure remained even when people got the recommended amount of sleep each night, aside from an irregular schedule.
The most important habit to get eight hours of sleep is to stick to a consistent sleep schedule and not sleep any longer than eight hours, according to sleep experts. Building a bedtime routine that encourages a full eight hours of slumber promotes efficient and quality sleep, training your body to be optimally sleepy and alert. Lying awake in bed and using electronics at bedtime are the worst habits that come in between you and your eight hours of sleep. Sleep is essential for both physical and mental health, allowing the body to repair and rebuild, regulate hormones, and fight infections.