Watch above: In today’s 24/7 world, a good night’s sleep is necessary to rejuvenate the body. Amanda Hudye from SleepWell Baby explains the benefits.
SASKATOON – A Saskatoon sleep consultant says a good resolution for many Canadians for 2015 would be to get enough sleep.
“About eight hours on average is what we need,” said Amanda Hudye, President and founder of SleepWell Baby. “Canadians on average are getting about 6.9 hours … we really are becoming a sleep-starved country,” she told Global News.
Hudye says part of the problem is that technology has made people accessible day and night. “If we don’t take the time we need to rejuvenate ourselves, our bodies, our families, we’re really not good for anyone,” she said.
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She said not getting enough sleep can cause a variety of health problems. Lack of sleep can contribute to serious conditions like heart disease, and diabetes. And it can literally make you fat.
“When we’re sleep-deprived, reaching for the wrong foods, eating way too much, we’re gaining weight,” she said. “There are proteins secreted when we sleep that reduce inflammation and infection, and when we’re not sleeping enough we’re finding ourselves getting more sick more often.”
Hudye said 60 per cent of Canadians report feeling tired much of the day, and fully 30 per cent are getting less than six hours of sleep per night. Yet, she says, adequate sleep is just as important as diet and exercise in keeping people healthy.
She says having a bedtime routine is important to healthy sleep habits, both for children and adults.
“Routine cues our bodies that it’s time to sleep,” she said.
Other tips include keeping your room dark, and keeping the electronics out.
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