You know you should be getting seven to nine hours of sleep per night, but did you also know that getting those zzz’s earlier rather than later has even more benefits, we’re talking weight loss, heart health, improved job performance and more!
Check ’em out here!
1- BETTER SLEEP:
You may pride yourself on burning the midnight oil, but studies have shown that night-owl habits can actually lead to insomnia.
2- A HEALTHIER HEART:
According to researchers at the Misao Health Clinic in Gifu, Japan, participants in a study who went to bed after midnight were found to have significantly more arterial stiffening(an early sign of hear disease) than those who climbed into bed at a more reasonable hour.
3- WEIGHT LOSS:
People who stay up late tend to eat late and eat even when they’re not hungry, ” says Evelyn Tribole, M.S., R.D., who cautions that the body stores (instead of burns!) calories taken in from late-night snack fests.
4- MORE ENERGY:
“Folks who are forced to live out of phase with the sun (i.e ., night-shift workers) never really quite get used to it,” says Kathy R. Gromer, M.D., of the Minnesota Sleep Institute. She says that those who get their shut- eye during the day often end up sleeping in two or three long naps,” instead of experiencing a continuous, deep REM- sleep phase, which may cause them to feel blah the next day.
5- A MORE PRODUCTIVE MORNING:
Even if you swear you’re the polar opposite of a morning person, no one is biologically programmed to stay up late, says Pelayo. Hauling yourself out of bed earlier can result in higher energy levels in.
6- LESS DRINKING:
Going to bed earlier practically guarantees you’ll drink less, a good thing for your health and your sleep. “(Alcohol) may make you drowsy at first and help you fall asleep, but then it will keep you in lighter, less restful sleep stages much of the night as the alcohol is metabolized.
7- A BETTER WORKOUT:
Good news: You may not need a personal trainer to reach your next fitness goal. In a study conducted at Stanford University, a group of athletes increased their sleep to 10 hours a night for a period of six weeks and saw their performances spike to an all- time high.
