Did you know that your body follows something called a circadian rhythm–a natural cycle that will signal your body when to go to sleep, wake up, eat, and even how to function optimally.
The quality of your sleep is incredibly important- but did you know that you’ll be more likely to get higher quality sleep if you go to bed at the same time each night?
According to sleep expert Dr. Grimaldi from Northwestern University, "When our sleep-wake and feeding cycles are not in tune with the rhythms dictated by our internal clock, circadian misalignment occurs."
Over time, this could lead to a whole host of problems like dealing with increased stress levels, lack of focus throughout the day, increased heart rate.... And could even mean getting less sunlight during the day.
We also know that lack of sleep over time, can have a dramatic effect on our body by increasing our risk for developing diabetes, obesity, or even cancer. It just all comes down to us taking care of ourselves and giving our body what it NEEDS to thrive.
This week’s challenge is about honoring our body’s natural rhythm–we’re going to go to bed at the same time each night. (a great goal is to be shooting for a solid 7+ hours of sleep)
By the way- waking UP at the same time every morning also is key! But we’re only going to focus on one thing at a time :-))
Now, I know this one can be a challenge for some of you, but with a little planning, it’ll be worth it!
Let me know in a comment below if you accept this challenge, and let me know what time you’re committing to hit the pillow tonight!
Eric "Mr. Motivation" Cook