When it comes to fitness, everyone thinks about exercise, but it is only part of the equation.

In recent years, more people are also beginning to accept that nutrition is extremely important for fitness and overall health. You cannot, after all, out-exercise a bad diet.  And of course, that is a major component of your 7 daily habits.  Yet another factor that must be emphasized and incorporated into your lifestyle for optimal health is the need for rest and recovery. Adequate sleep is vital for muscle tissue repair, weight loss, and weight management. 

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about one-third of Americans do not get the recommended amount of sleep. Not getting enough sleep can arise from a sleep disorder like insomnia. It can also result from not experiencing good quality sleep, or simply not setting aside enough time to sleep. Regardless of the cause, inadequate sleep has been linked to diseases and conditions like diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and depression.

Experts recommend that adults over 18 get seven or more hours of sleep per night. Children should get more. The younger the age group, the greater amount of sleep the youth should get.

When you don’t get enough sleep, you can be irritable, experience decreased cognitive skills and an inability to focus, and have a greater tendency to gain weight. Inadequate sleep contributes to auto accidents, increased errors on the job, and work-related injuries.

Some of the things we recommend promoting sleep are:

Exercising three or four times weekly.  Burning energy will make the body more likely to tire, however, try avoiding vigorous exercise a few hours before bed. Instead, if you are doing physical activity closer to bedtime, enjoy some gentle form of yoga, Pilates or stretching. 

Maintain a consistent time that you go to bed and get up. Develop a routine to unwind like taking a bath and reading a book.

Avoid electronics in the bedroom.  Make your bedroom an environment for sleeping.  Keep the room temperature cooler at night.

Avoid naps if sleeping through the night is a challenge.

Drink chamomile tea and avoid alcohol and other stimulants.  They may be helpful in helping you get to sleep initially, but the stimulants spike your blood sugar, and when it drops, you are likely to wake you in the middle of the night.

Although you may feel like you cannot get sleep because you are too busy, it can be counterproductive.  You may get away with it for a while, but eventually, you will start to move out of balance and develop unwanted systems like illnesses, weight gain, and stress. 

If you are unable to figure out how to fit more sleep into your schedule, start tracking your time so you can begin looking at things you can possibly cut out of your day, i.e time spent watching television.

Having the proper rest, you will look and feel rested and energized.  Your concentration, focus, and productivity are likely to improve.  There are also opportunities for improvements in sleep