Solid sleep on a regular basis is key to *all the things.* When we fall asleep, our muscles relax and our heartbeat, breathing, eye movements, and brain waves slow down. Sure, it feels like you’re turning off for the night (finally!), but in reality, sleep is an active and complex activity. It impacts most parts of our bodies - from our brain to our heart, mood, and metabolism. It can also play a role in how we feel on a day-to-day basis - and our ability to make decisions that keep us on our wellness journeys.
3 fast facts
- While we sleep, blood flow to our muscles increases, which helps grow and repair them. This is especially helpful after being active.
- Getting enough sleep makes it easier for our bodies to regulate the hormones that break down food. This can decrease our risk for Type 2 Diabetes.
- Cerebral spinal fluid pumps through our brain to wash away waste when we sleep, helping us feel refreshed when we wake up. Feeling rested makes us more likely to make healthier choices.
RELATED: How to sleep better
Try this technique
Use the steps below a few days this week to track how your sleep affects how you feel. Pro tip: Turn this reflection into a true moment of self-care in a cosy nook with light music and a soothing cup of (decaf!) tea.
- When you wake up, use the WW app to track how many hours you slept that night. (You can brush your teeth first...we’ll wait!) There’s no need for any clock-watching or perfection here - make your best guess. The goal is to get a general sense of your sleeping patterns.
- Don’t forget to also answer the sleep tracker questions about how you’re feeling. Jot that down in a notebook. At the end of the day, add to it by rating how everything else went - think work, home life, relationships, eating well, physical activity, or taking care of your mindset. Use a scale of 1–5 (1 = thumbs down, 5 = thumbs up).
- At the end of the week, see if you notice any trends in the notes you took. How did the amount of sleep you got impact how you felt each morning? Did those feelings spill over into the other areas of your life? Think about how you can use that awareness moving forward.