Your immune system protects your body against infections and diseases, and your body takes advantage of your being asleep to repair and regenerate your organs, tissues and cells in order to fight off any infection or illness. Therefore, sleeping improves and stimulates your immune function and, conversely, a lack of sleep impedes its effectiveness.
Brain Maintenance
Your brain is particularly active as you sleep; it takes advantage of your slumber to stock and process the information you learnt during the day and it flushes out metabolicwaste, which contributes substantially to your brain health. Consequently, getting some restful sleep helps keep you focused, sharp and alert all day long, which in turn helps maximize your productivity at work or at school.
Metabolism Regulation and Weight Management
Sleep is super underrated when it comes to weight management. Yet, sleeping sufficiently allows for the regulation of your metabolism, mainly because the ghrelin andleptin hormones, which respectively control the feelings of hunger and satiation, are regulated as you catch some z’s. When these hormones are in control, it is way easier to keep your hunger and your cravings in check.
Similarly, your slumber is a key player in the regulation of your blood sugar. Controlled blood sugar levels go a long way for the efficiency of your metabolic activity and the suppression of your sweet cravings. On that account, sleeping well plays a surprisingly important role when it comes to nutrition choices and weight management, thanks to the hormonal benefits it provides.
Emotion and Mood Regulation
Researchers all agree that a close connection between the quality of your sleep and that of your mood exists; a few bad nights of sleep suffice to cause irritability, stress or other mood issues in your life.
A lack of sleep triggers the release of cortisol, the stress hormone and, since stress prevents us from getting good sleep, you can rapidly and insidiously get looped into a vicious circle, which you can break by reducing your exposure to sources of stress and working your way towards achieving a better sleep hygiene. Easy Mealz can help you tackle your stress thanks to our ready-to-eat meals that allow you to simplify your routine and to eliminate stressful tasks from your day-to-day life, such as grocery shopping, meal prepping and washing the dishes.
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP
Different people thrive on different amounts of sleep. However, most adults and elders require 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you increase your sleep quality and elevate your nighttime routine for the most restorative and refreshing of slumbers!
Maintain a Regular Sleep Schedule
We recommend establishing a daily routine that allows you to go to bed around the same time every night. Ideally, as much as possible, you should set your alarm clock and get your beauty sleep at the same time every day, even during the weekend!
Organize Your Snacks and Meals According to Your Sleep Schedule
In order to maximize your sleep, it would be ideal to avoid consuming sweet or stimulating food and beverages such as cola, chocolate, tea and energy drinks in the hours leading up to your bedtime. We also recommend waiting at least 1–2 hours after dinner time to go to bed, as digestion can compromise your sleep.
Conversely, going to sleep on an empty stomach can affect the quality of your sleep just the same, so maintaining a balance with the food you consume in the evening is the key. If hunger strikes you bad before bed, opt for a light meal such a vegan, white meat or fish-based Easy Mealz meal, as opposed to going to bed on an empty stomach.
Reduce Your Exposure to Screens Before Sleep
We strongly recommend that you avoid using any mobile device before sleep, such as your TV, your cellphone or your digital tablet. In fact, all your devices should be turned off at least one hour before bedtime, since the luminosity they emit and the stimuli they trigger in your brain keep your mind alert and awake. We know it’s hard, but trust us; putting your devices away will go a long way to help you fall asleep. Consequently, if you want to browse the Easy Mealz menu, make sure to do so in the morning or during your lunch break!
Elaborate a Relaxation Ritual
Before getting into bed, why not dim the lights, take a bubble bath, do some breathing exercises, or any other activity that promotes relaxation? Developing such a ritual in the evening will allow you to smoothly transition toward your bedtime. Eventually, your brain will recognize this routine as its signal to go into “sleep mode.”
Similarly, we recommend keeping food or electronic devices out of your bedroom and to perform any stimulating activity in another room as well. Reserving your bed strictly for sleeping and relaxing purposes, and avoiding using it to eat, watch TV or play videogames will allow your brain to associate your bed with sleeping and sleeping only.
At last, a good sleep hygiene is key when it comes to maintaining a healthy and optimal lifestyle. Even though we know how tempting it is to watch one last episode of your favourite series late at night, the smarter move is turning the TV off and heading to bed to count some sheep; your body will surely reward you for it. Sleep tight!