It's official, not getting enough sleep is making us dumb!

DUBLIN 18, Ireland - July 7, 2014 - PRLog -- If you want a healthier brain, to live longer and to stay looking and feeling younger for longer, get enough sleep.

According to recent scientific studies our brain needs 7-9 hours of good quality sleep every day.

When we don’t get enough sleep our brain has a hard time dealing with stress, it gets irritable, and it has a hard time paying attention. On the other hand, getting adequate sleep helps our brain learn new things and develop new habits.

When we’re awake, we have new experiences and learn new things. When we sleep, brain processes help us integrate those new experiences and learnings into our memory. This makes us more effective during our waking hours, in work and outside.

But did you know that sleep deprivation has also been shown to damage brain cells?

A big no-no for anyone wanting to live a healthy, happy and fulfilling life.

So, here are 9 habits for a good night’s sleep:

No caffeine after lunch. Caffeine can stay with you for up to 12 hours leaving you wide awake at bedtime. If you need an energy jolt, try going for a brisk walk outside.
Unplug. Cozying up to your laptop in bed could disrupt your sleep. The content stimulates your brain. And the emitted blue light mimics daylight. It can stop the production of melatonin – the sleep hormone.
Exercise early in the day. Exercise is great for reducing stress and this helps sleep. But it also increases your body’s core temperature, making it harder to fall asleep. Exercise at least 2 hours before bedtime. Earlier would be even better.
Downsize dinner. Large meals take a long time to digest, delaying the onset of sleepiness. Try and make lunch your big meal of the day…or at least eat a bit more for lunch and little bit less in the evening.
Skip the “nightcap”.
Don’t work in bed. Especially on your computer. Stop working at least an hour before bedtime.
Sleeping pills? No thanks. Better not at all. A study reported in the BMJ Open journal found regular sleeping pill users were 4.6 time likelier to die prematurely.
Make your bed. The National Sleep Foundation found that 44% of people who make their beds tend to sleep more soundly than those who don’t.
Sleeping in at the weekend. Wide variations in your sleep-wake cycle can cause insomnia. If you are dying for a sleep-in, try and keep it to just an hour more than your normal “get up time”.

Also, cherry juice is great for inducing sleep. Just 2 glasses are thought to help you sleep 40mins longer, as it helps raise melatonin levels in the brain.

For a younger, sharper, more flexible brain, be sure you get your zzzz!

For more information contact Mind Coach Anna Aparicio at http://www.delite.ie