Lullaby, and good night...

Getting the proper amount of quality sleep helps you boost your immune system, manage/lose weight, and improve your creative thinking and long-term memory.

Conversely, not getting the right amount of sleep can dramatically affect your health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cite too little sleep as a contributing factor to diabetes, heart disease, obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, and many other health conditions.

Here are few helpful tips to help you get the sleep that is right for you:

1. Establish a sleep schedule.
Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day (yes, even on the weekends.)

2. Exercise regularly.
Any level of daily activity (the more vigorous the better) will help improve the quality of your sleep. Just don’t exercise too close to bedtime because it might keep you up.

3. Watch the caffeine.
Especially close to bedtime. It takes about 6 hours for the effects of caffeine to fully wear off.

4. Assess your sleep environment.
The best environment for sleep is in a dark, quiet, and cool room (60-68 degrees), with a comfortable mattress and pillows.

5. Turn off those screens.
Avoid prolonged use of LED and similar screens (computers, tablets, smart phones, etc.) in the evenings and especially within one hour of going to bed.

6. Try technology.
There are many apps to help you fall asleep, monitor your sleep, and establish a healthy sleep routine. Check out SleepScore, SleepWatch, or Sleep++ (yes, the app developers really pulled out all the stops coming up with names for these). Sleep++ is free (for now).

7. Visit your MetaClinic. If you are having difficulty getting the proper amount of sleep, the medical professionals at your MetaClinic can help. They can customize a program - exercise, weight loss, smoking cessation, nutrition, or whatever else you might need – that will have you sleeping better in no time. Call today for an appointment - 844-774-4325.