Something usually tells me I need to get some more rest, either my eyes are bloodshot, or being half asleep at work. Whatever the case, I don’t think anything can replace a good night’s sleep. As you probably know if this is not the first time you have been reading Bangov. Bangov is an advocate for your health because when your world goes to shit, your health will be something you are grateful for. Between work, family, errands, on top of all other life events that take place you are told that 8 hours a day is beneficial for your overall health, or at least we have been told that since i was in high school that you needed 8 hours a day to function. Maybe I need more? I’d get 8 hours of sleep and still feel like I was either drugged to go back to sleep or felt like I haven’t slept at all.
“Sleep needs can vary from person to person, but in general, experts recommend that healthy adults get an average of 7 to 9 hours per night of shuteye.” (hopkinsmedicine.org)
When we think of eating too late because it will make you fat, how about we stop fooling ourselves and just start eating the right foods, exercise more. If you are eating pizza all day, being able to hold it together 2 hours before you go to bed is not going to save your bikini body. Food does affect your sleep according to Psychology Today,
“Recent studies have investigated the influence of circadian rhythms on metabolic processes. Consuming a meal less than two hours before sleep time or consuming a major percentage of the daily calories late in the day can greatly impair sleep quality. Essentially, eating too many calories at the end of one’s biorhythm can induce the gut microbiota to produce a pro-inflammatory state that disrupts your circadian rhythm and sleep quality.”
Especially if you are trying to get work done, maybe make something of your life or even just improve the quality of it, simple things such as sleep are very helpful in giving you a fresh perspective on being able to take on the type of tasks needed to move further in your short-term or long-term goals.
Oversleeping is an issue when getting into the rhythm of napping throughout the day, even if you don’t think you need it, if you’re grabbing coffee at 5 in the afternoon, do you really think your body is getting sufficient sleep trying to process caffeine throughout the night when you’re going to start the cycle with another cup 8 hours later. Healthline tells us that caffeine peaks between 30-60 minutes after consumption and has a half-life of up to 5 hours. That means 10 hours after consumption you may still be feeling the effects of caffeine.
So, you have to think about consuming coffee, tea, or energy drinks every day. You are creating a tolerance to caffeine which after not having caffeine for a day can lead to withdrawal. Although “caffeine is a natural substance found in a variety of plants, including coffee and cocoa beans, and tea leaves, the effects of caffeine withdrawal are a good reminder that too much of anything is not a good thing. (Healthline article)
“Some signs of caffeine withdrawal include impaired behavioral and cognitive performance, decreased or increased blood pressure, decreased motor activity, increased heart rate, hand tremor, increased diuresis, skin flushing, flu-like symptoms, nausea/vomiting, constipation, muscle stiffness, joint pains, and abdominal pain.
The differential diagnosis for caffeine withdrawal can include, but is not limited to:
- Other sources of headache, including migraines
- Lack of sleep/chronic fatigue
- Hypothyroidism
- Anxiety disorder
- Depression
- Infections
Provided by National Library of Medicine.
Of course, I would love to be able to tell people to stop caffeine for 30 days and see how they feel, but that would be like telling people to stop having sex for 30 days. Hell telling anyone to stop anything that may give them joy in life would probably drive them crazy. Some people are just not strong enough to face the consequences of what it means to change their daily routine in order to better their health. When life does hit the shit fan they tend to think, oh maybe I should make some changes in my life, so I guess just wait for those moments. For the others who are able to make drastic changes and want to see the benefits of a better diet and better sleep. Those people are wanting to see change happen before their eyes. All the rest of you may just be stuck feeling like you can’t break the habit. Not saying I have the answers for you, but all I can do is maintain a healthy diet, and make sure I am staying active, running, gym time and lots of water. The basics are what make the harshness of lack of sleep, too much caffeine, sugar or energy drinks less wear on the body. One thing to not get lazy on is your health. Bangov Actual, out.
other helpful articles:
Causes and Effects of Oversleeping | Sleep Foundation
Caffeine | The Nutrition Source | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Images by Freepik.com