How a Good Night's Sleep Will Boost Your Success

A study has shown that if you get seven hours sleep each night you will stay healthy. The research, carried out on 30,000 adults, by scientists at the West Virginia University School of Medicine in the USA showed that the risk of cardiovascular disease is less amongst those who regularly sleep for seven hours.

It was shown that less sleep can increase blood pressure, and reduce glucose tolerance, both of which increase the risk of artery damage. Those regularly sleeping for nine hours or more also increased their risk as longer sleep can be connected to breathing problems which too can lead to heart problems.

Research by a team from the University of Warwick in the UK and Federico II University Medical School in Naples, Italy has also shown that sleep deprivation makes you more likely to die before the age of 65. It can also make you hungrier and fatter, because of its effect on hormones, and has been linked with the development of diabetes and proteins which can cause Alzheimer's. Poor sleep is also a cause and symptom of depression.

So are you getting a regular seven hours sleep?

Now I don't want to alarm you with these reports - scientists are carrying out studies all the time - but it is something to consider. In reality your sleep patterns change according to your circumstances and the amount you need alters during your life.

At the age of one or two you need 12 hours a night with an hour or two during the day. By the age of four this is down to ten to 12 hours a night. As a teenager you will require around nine hours but as you get older you will require less so that in your later years six to seven hours is normal. But as an adult that figure of seven hours is about right.

Your health will also be affected by other things like what you eat and drink and how much exercise you take. But there is no doubt that getting a good night's sleep sets you up for the day in the right way. You will be livelier, more positive and more able to meet the challenges ahead.

You will be better prepared too for the tasks you need to accomplish to ensure you reach your goals. But what can you do to make sure that you sleep well?

Here are some tips:

- Create the right environment for sleep. You must be comfortable, which means not just the bed you sleep in, but the whole room. Ensure it is neither too hot nor too cold, and that there is very little light. Do what you can to get away from any noise too.

- Prepare your body for sleep by taking care what you eat or drink. Avoid meals too near to bedtime and try not to eat food in the evening that is too spicy. Don't drink alcohol or keep it to the minimum and certainly avoid drugs, except those that you have to take for medical reasons. Take a hot bath or have a massage if you have aching muscles that you need to relax.

- Get yourself in the right frame of mind for restful sleep. Try to avoid watching television or DVDs just before bed - TVs in the bedroom are commonplace nowadays but are really not a good idea - and if you do watch, try to avoid anything too exciting or disturbing. Similarly be careful what you read at bedtime. A self-improvement book or magazine article is far more beneficial than a horror story or science-fiction. Make sure that you are switched off from work too. Use task lists or to-do lists to ensure you have closed off today's work and don't need to worry about what you have to do tomorrow.

- Try techniques like visualization - where you can see yourself sleeping peacefully - or positive affirmations - repeating to yourself something like, "I am going to sleep restfully and peacefully for seven hours and wake up feeling happy and refreshed."

Whatever methods you try, you will get the benefit of being healthier and more motivated to get done the things you need for the realization of your goals.

Sleep well!

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