Did You Get Enough Sleep Last Night?

The American Heart Association offers a checklist of eight key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health. Life’s Essential 8 is designed to highlight things we can do to lower our risk for heart disease, stroke and other major health problems.

In 2022, the Association added sleep duration to the list as a component of heart health. They say the amount and quality of sleep can influence a person’s eating habits, mood, memory, internal organs and more.

One advantage to getting enough sleep is being more productive. After spending years working long hours to the detriment of a good night’s sleep, Ariana Huffington now says, “The irony is that a lot of people forgo sleep in the name of productivity. But in fact our productivity is reduced substantially when we’re sleep deprived.”

Professor of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Charles Czeisler, explains being sleep deprived can impair your abilities and is like being drunk. Poor sleep habits can cause you to eat more to feel more energetic, and may increase your risk for high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

It is recommended adults get a solid 7 to 9 hours of sleep each day and a sleep routine will help you achieve this goal. Start by going to bed each night around the same time so you can wake up refreshed at the same time each morning. If possible, open your curtains to let in the morning sunshine or turn on the bedroom lights. Research still shows breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should consist of healthy foods.

Another thing to get your day off right is to take a few minutes each morning doing something like practicing mindfulness or yoga. The other Life’s Essential 8 include maintaining a healthy diet, fitness, quitting nicotine, losing weight, and watching your cholesterol, blood pressure and risk for diabetes.

If you are looking for memory care or assisted living in Houston, we encourage you to consider MorningStar at River Oaks. Our home offers beautiful surroundings and a broad range of amenities and services to meet every need. Please see our website for more information about trusted senior living at MorningStar.

MorningStar is guided by a culture rooted in our mission of honoring God, valuing seniors, and investing in our team, which allows us to deliver services with warmth, sincerity and depth of purpose. We have built a reputation for creating homes filled with an atmosphere of love and community. Please contact us to learn more about the finest memory care and assisted living Houston has to offer.

Source:
heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/sleep/how-to-sleep-better-with-tech-tweaks

Comments

Be an Active Partner in Your Medical Care

Experts suggest that a good way to reduce medical errors regarding your care or that of a loved one is to be an active partner in the process whether in a hospital setting, doctors’ office or the pharmacy. In fact, a study showed 7% of hospitalized patients experienced an event that was considered preventable which negatively affected their health. Furthermore, harmful errors in primary and outpatient health care settings are typically related to diagnoses, prescriptions and use of medicines. Mistakes associated with misdiagnosis result in delayed treatment for the real problem and having the wrong medications prescribed or supplied can cause serious complications. However, it is important to keep in mind that some medical errors are a result of patients failing to disclose all the medications they take including prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Another problem is the failure to reveal pertinent details regarding a person’s prior medical history as well as lifestyle habits s...

Hosting a Senior-Friendly Book Swap Event

For book lovers, there’s nothing better than finding new stories to dive into and sharing favorite reads with friends. Hosting a book swap event is a fun, budget-friendly way for seniors to exchange books, explore new genres, and connect over a shared love of reading. Choose a Cozy, Accessible Space The first step in planning a book swap is choosing a comfortable, accessible space. A common room or a cozy corner in senior living Kirkland is ideal. Arrange seating in a circle or create small areas where people can gather, sit, and chat. Add a table or shelf for displaying the books, so everyone can browse easily. Decorating with a few simple touches—like tablecloths, flowers, or even book-themed decorations—adds warmth and excitement. A welcoming atmosphere encourages everyone to relax, explore, and enjoy the event. Invite Participants to Bring a Book (or Two) The beauty of a book swap is that everyone contributes! Ask each participant to bring one or two gently-used books they’re read...

Research Shows Humans May have the Potential for a Longer Lifespan

The Medical News Today recently reported on an interesting study published in the journal, Demographic Research, and conducted by the University of Washington, which indicated a likely rise in human longevity by the end of this century. Worldwide we have seen a rise over the last several years of a half a million people, referred to as centenarians , living past the age of 100 years old. Today the new focus is on those living past 110 years old who are referred to as “supercentenarians.” Up to now the oldest known person in the world was a French woman with a recorded age of 122 years old when she died in 1997. The University of Washington longevity study used “updated longevity data in the International Database on Longevity (IDL), established by the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock, Germany.” The study included 1,119 people recorded as supercentenarians from ten European countries along with Japan, U.S. and Canada. They additionally included records of al...

MorningStar Independent Living Blog

Search This Blog