B Y : N I C O L E T T E A R M E N T I

SLEEP…

WHAT IS SLEEP

• Sleep is an altered state of

consciousness where your body

does a lot of important work.

• Getting restful sleep-and

enough of it- is vitally important

to living as healthy as possible

throughout your life.

• A lack of sleep, on the other

hand, speeds up the aging

process.

WHY DO WE NEED SLEEP

1.Its restorative

2. Its Adaptive

HOW MUCH DO WE NEED?

- We should get between seven and a half to nine hours of sleep

per night.

Not enough sleep:

-We become irritable, less alert, hard time concentrating, feeling drowsy.

-Affects our immune system.

HOW LONG SHOULD IT TAKE TO FALL ASLEEP

• Less than 5 minutes: Exhaustion; you are

not getting enough sleep.

• 5-15 minutes: This is a healthy amount of

time to fall asleep.

• 15-30: Stress may be interfering with your

sleep; you need to do something to help

wind down before bed time.

• 30-60 minutes: Insomnia; try 20 minutes

of deep breathing or muscle relaxation.

• 60 + minutes: Its time to see your doctor

or a sleep specialist.

SLEEP AND WEIGHT

• Studies show that people who get five hours or less of sleep each

night are much more prone to weight gain.

• This is primarily due to a lack of sleep in which affects two

hormones that stimulate appetite.

SLEEP APNEA • If you’re getting at least 7 ½ hours of sleep and still feel tired the next day, talk to

your physician about sleep apnea, a common disorder that disrupts sleep.

• Sleep Apnea is associated with: Loud snoring, daytime fatigue, excess weight,

high blood pressure, periods where you stop breathing during sleep, a headache

in the morning, insomnia.

• Insomnia - A sleep disorder that is characterized by difficulty falling and or staying asleep. People with insomnia have one or more of the following symptoms:

*Difficulty falling asleep

*Waking up often during the night and having trouble going back to sleep

*Waking up too early in the morning

*Feeling tired upon waking

MEDICATIONS THAT CAN KEEP YOU AWAKE

Non- prescription Drugs:

-decongestants, nicotine, antihistamines,

stimulants, alcohol, caffeine.

Prescription Drugs:

-Stimulants, coming off sedatives, diuretics,

corticosteroids, and many anti

depressants.

STAGES OF SLEEP

STAGE 1: Dozing Stage

STAGE 2: Light Sleep

STAGE 3: Deeper Sleep

STAGE 4: Deepest Stage of Sleep

STAGE 5: REM Sleep

HEALTHY SLEEP HYGIENE

• Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day,

even on weekends.

• Follow a regular bedtime routine.

• Dim lights in your home as bedtime approaches.

• Avoid work and worry as you prepare for sleep.

• Get plenty of exercise in the mornings or mid-day.

HEALTHY SLEEP CONT.

• Avoid long naps in the late afternoon and early evening.

• Don’t work, read, eat, or watch TV in bed.

• When you get into bed, focus on calming your body.

• Invest in a good quality mattress.

• Maintain ideal sleep conditions: block noise.

• Limit food, alcohol, caffeine, liquids.

EXERCISE &

STRETCHING

EXERCISE

is a virtual necessity to maintain

proper functioning of major

physiological systems.

TODAY’S SOCIETY

American’s Stress about their weight

Sedentary Lifestyle

obesity

Health decline

Coronary Heart Disease

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: TWO CATEGORIES

Aerobic & Anaerobic: types of physical exertion that

parallel the two aspects of fight-or-flight response.

Anaerobic: physical motion intense in power and strength

yet short in duration.

Aerobic: Cardiovascular-endurance activities such as

running, swimming, cycling, cross country skiing,

rhythmic dancing and walking; they are rhythmic or

continuous.

CARDIOVASCULAR

Exercise

Benefits Physiological + General

Exercise “work” physical exercise is stress to the body, it is fight or flight response in

motion

PHYSIOLOGY

• Physical exercise utilizes stress hormones

• Physiological homeostasis suggests that physical exercise might be the closest

thing we have to the fountain of youth.

EXERCISE & STRESS

• Exercise in almost any form

can act as a stress reliever.

Being active can boost your

feel-good endorphins and

distract you from daily worries.

• exercise should be part of your

stress management plan.

• Increases overall health and

wellbeing

DIRECT STRESS BENEFITS

Pumps up your endorphins

“runner's high”

It’s meditation in motion

Improves mood

DO YOU EXERCISE?

Common reasons to skip:

I don’t have enough time

It’s too hot or too cold

I need to do housework

I need to do shopping

I’m too tired

I’m in good enough shape

I’m on my feet all day

FIT IN EXERCISE

Schedule workout time

Do some chores

Walk/run while you are waiting for something to be done

Move your body while dinner is cooking

Walk/run dog

Ride a bike to the store

FITTING EXERCISE INTO YOUR WORKDAY

• Lunch break

• Stretch at your desk

• Grab your water bottle or resistance bands and do some strength exercises at

your desk

STRETCHING

Stretching is an effective strategy to aid in the relief of stress. It lengthens the

muscles to relieve muscle tension.

Desk, computer work, long driving, walking in high heels cause muscles, tendons, and

ligaments to shorten.

Loss of Flexibility

Breathing is important

NUTRITION & STRESS

• Food provides nutrients as well as emotional pleasures

• Serves as a pacifier to calm nerves

• Eating used as a coping technique

• dieting

FOOD CHOICES

• High sugar

• High fat

• Bleached flour

• Genetically modified organisms

• Hormones

• Antibiotics

• Petro chemicals introduced by means of fertilizers

• Fungicides & pesticides

STRESS

Compromises the ability to digest, absorb, metabolize, and eliminate nutrients.

DOMINO EFFECT: The relationship between nutrition, stress, and the immune system.

Domino 1

Domino 2

Domino 3

Domino 4

EAT FOR A HEALTHY IMMUNE SYSTEM

• Consume antioxidants

• Fiber

• Fresh Water

• Eat organics

• Adequate proteins

• Decrease processed food

• Decrease antibiotics and hormone consumption

• Consume Omega 3 and Omega 6

• Decreased saturated fats

• Eat colorfully

CORTISOL

Stress increases production of cortisol, which

increases the production of the chemical

neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the brain.

PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS

• Often the act of eating is done for emotional reasons that have nothing to do with

nutritional demands of the body

• Food is often used as a means to pacify our minds and hearts

• Eating disorders

• Unresolved anger

• Food becomes a tranquilizer that calms nerves

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HEALTHY EATING

HABITS • Eat a well balanced diet

• Eat a good breakfast and space meals evenly throughout the day

• Avoid or minimize the consumption of caffeine and sugar

• Eat a diet that provides adequate levels of vitamins and minerals that are

potentially vulnerable to stress

Adequate sleep, exercise, & diet

means less stress, so why not

take the time than settle for less

Thank You