Many of us are guilty of not taking sleep seriously. Experts around the world have time and again emphasized on 8-hour sleep rule. Our body needs a minimum of 8 hours to rest and recover from the days work. Not only this, sleep is involved in healing and repair of your heart and blood vessels too. It is essential for growing muscle, repairing tissue, and synthesising hormones. If you are missing out on your sleep due to some professional or personal commitments, or poor lifestyle habits you could be inviting a variety of diseases and ailments like the risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.
Here are some signs that may indicate that you are sleep deprived
1. Weakened immune system: Struggling from a persistent cold and flu could? It could be a sign of sleep deprivation. Your immune system produces protective cytokines and infection-fighting antibodies and cells. These protective antibodies helps keep bacteria and virus at bay. Not enough sleep doesn't give your body a chance to rebuild these protective forces.
2. High blood pressure: Sleep deprivation may impact your Blood pressure. There is a higher risk of developing high blood pressure if you don't complete your required quota.
3. Weight Gain:An increased appetite will always lead to weight gain. But that's not all. A body which is not getting adequate rest will see a slow-down in its metabolism. So inadequate sleep will not only make you eat more, your ability to burn the food for energy would also be impacted.
4. Perpetual Hunger:Not getting enough sleep can mess with an appetite controlling hormone in the body called Leptin. You can thank this hormone for the feeling of satisfaction you get after a good meal. Leptin is also known as the satiety hormone and is released by the fat cells in the body. Lack of sleep affects the production of this hormone making the brain feel the need for more calories than normal. The result will be a perpetual feeling of hunger.
If you have been experiencing some sleep disorders, a little change in your lifestyle and eating habits may bring positive effects on your sleep. Here are some sleep inducing foods that you must add in your daily diet.
1. BananaBananas can help bring a satisfying sleep as they contain good amounts of magnesium and potassium- both of which are known to be muscle relaxants. They are also packed with good carbohydrates that make you feel sleepy.
2. FlaxseedsFlaxseeds are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium and tryptophan. Magnesium is a muscles relaxant, tryptophan helps in releasing serotonin, the pleasure hormone and omega-3 fatty acids are known to reduce instances of anxiety and depression.
3. AlmondsAlmonds are dense with magnesium that will help you catch more quality sleep. Besides this, they help in regulating your blood sugar levels while sleeping.
4. Warm MilkMilk is a known sleep supporter, as it contains tryptophan, an amino acid that converts into serotonin. Serotonin is known to induce calming effects in the brain.
Eat these foods as much as you can. Moreover, a head massage or soaking your feet in hot water for a couple of minutes helps to relax nerves and muscles.