Healthy Weight Week: Optimize Sleep

January 25, 2024 / Get Well

National Healthy Weight Week continues! Today, we encourage you to incorporate more nights of deep, restorative slumber. No, you’re not dreaming — we really want you to sleep your way to whole body health!

Sleep is an essential function that allows the body and mind to recharge. The quality and quantity of those ZZZs are crucial to physical and mental health, cognitive function and overall quality of life. Sleep helps the body not only prepare for the day ahead but also recover from the one that’s passed. Check out the resources and graphic below to learn more about the benefits of better sleep, healthy sleep practices and various sleep disorders. 

Additional Information:

Happy Health Weight Week!

American Heart Association masthead with "Healthy for Good" in red against background of cloudy sky with stars. Text: How Sleep Affects Your Health

Top panel that spans the page: 1 in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep. (At left is image of three stick figures, one of which is colored red.)

Below left column:
How much sleep do you need?
Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Kids and teens need even more. Yet the average high school student gets only 6.5 hours per school night, and about 20% get 5 hours or less! 

Benefits of good sleep
-Healing and repair of cells, tissues and blood vessels
-Better brain function, including alertness, decision-making, focus, learning, memory, reasoning and problem-solving
-More creativity and productivity
-Improved mood and energy
-Healthy growth and development for kids and teens
-Better ability to build muscle
-Quicker reflexes
-Less risk of chronic disease
-Stronger immune system

Right column
Your Health
Poor sleep may put you at higher risk for:
-Alzheimer’s disease
-Cardiovascular disease
-Cognitive decline and dementia
-Depression
-Diabetes
-High blood pressure
-High blood sugar
-High cholesterol
-Infections
-Obesity

Poor sleep can cause:
-Accidents
-Breathing problems
-Hormone imbalance
-Memory and cognitive issues
-Increased appetite and unhealthy eating
-Inflammation
-Stress
-Weight gain

Bottom panel that spans page
Remember: 7 to 9 will help you feel fine, so get your ZZZs!
Learn more at heart dot org forward slash HealthyForGood

 

Submitted by: 
Dahlia Henry-Tett, Chief Wellness Officer (CWO), employeewellbeing@nvcc.edu