If you're like many Americans, you started 2014 off with at least a couple of New Year's resolutions. I don't want to be a downer, but most people give up on their noble attempts to improve their lives sometime in the third week of January. (Here are some really depressing stats about how many people keep their resolutions.)
There are many tips for avoiding this fate:
- Share your goals with a friend who will hold you accountable
- Put your goals in writing
- Keep it simple, or work on only one thing at a time.
My favorite is "Keep it Simple," so I was thrilled to come across this article this morning. Can you guess the answer to this question posed by Sarah Klein in the Healthy Living section of the Huffington Post:
The Most Important Thing You Can Do In The New Year To Lose Weight, Get Sharper And Live Longer
You got it! Sleep!
More sleep is proven to help reduce stress, enhance weight loss, improve mood and memory and even help you live longer.
There are many reasons why you might not be getting enough sleep at night. Some things you can control, like watching too much TV before bed, too much light in your bedroom or having a poor/nonexistant pre-bed routine. For many people there are bigger issues, such as a sleep disorder like insomnia or sleep apnea, keeping them from getting the optimal amount of sleep. How do you know if you have a sleep disorder? Talk to your doctor.
If there's one thing you should do this year, it's find a way to get more sleep.
