I’m going to let you into a secret. What’s the number one way that you can positively influence your wellbeing starting today?
Sleep. Get more of it.
And not just the ‘fell asleep after four glasses of merlot and a curry’ type sleep, but proper, good quality sleep.
Good quality sleep makes us more alert, less anxious, and improves our cognitive function. It even reduces the risk of strokes, heart attacks and diabetes.
And did you know that sleep deprivation is so harmful to humans that the Guinness Book of Records now refuses to recognize new attempts to break the sleep deprivation world record?
So why is it so important to get our 7-9 hours of ZZZs each night?
Well the body does most of its repairing when we’re asleep. One of the ways it does this is by using a process called autophagy – which literally means ‘self-eating’. Special cells called microphages go hunting for bits of old, used-up, dead or diseased cells which they can either recycle to make new cells or excrete from the body. In short, autophagy helps us get rid of toxins and slow the aging process.
But what are the things you can do to improve your quality of sleep and therefore optimize how well this process works?
Lots of things.
Ok, let’s be specific. One easy and effective thing you can do when you go to bed tonight is simply this: switch off your broadband router.
I can practically hear the gasps of horror echoing across the country, but hear me out.
As well as being chemical and biological beings, we humans are also electrical systems. And things like Wi-Fi, mobile phone radiation, and electromagnetic fields from electrical appliances can impact the body, disrupting sleep patterns.
You may have heard of the cress experiment carried out by a class of ninth grade schoolgirls in Denmark who were struggling to concentrate on lessons? The cress seeds they grew in a room without Wi-Fi was just fine, but the cress seeds grown in a room with two Wi-Fi routers was, well, a lot less fine – it didn’t grow at all.
Perhaps try it for a week and see if you notice the difference in your quality of sleep: when you go to bed, switch your broadband router and any electrical appliances in your bedroom off at the plug, and switch your mobile phone onto airplane mode. Sweet dreams!
For my Top Ten Tips for Refreshing Sleep, just click on the link below:
A very useful article, thank you Anne
on July 17, 2019 at 1:02 pm talkhealthThank you Melanie – I’m glad you like it! ☺️
on July 17, 2019 at 2:13 pm Anne Bryant