As a midlife wellness coach who is practically the get-more-sleep-police I was horrified to realize there was nary a post here on the subject. Starting now that’s going to change and my hope is that you’ll benefit by putting some of the how-to tips to work for you. I’m also hoping to do a Power Hour call with Dr. Marcia Lindsey. whom I was recently introduced to and who is known as the Sleep Diva .

Let’s start with a fact that shocked me.

According to John Medina in the book Brain Rules, “when people become sleep deprived, their ability to utilize the food they consume falls by about 1/3. The ability to make insulin and to extract energy from glucose begins to fail miserably.”  

Ouch, we certainly don’t need another contributing factor to metabolic disorder or diabetes. Not to mention, when you are tired you don’t make good food choices and often times reach for carbs to boost the serotonin missing in the brain. More carbs, more insulin resistance.

And lack of sleep leads to an excess of circulating cortisol, a stress hormone. Get this, “Cortisol has been shown to reduce muscle mass, increase bone loss and osteoporosis, interfere with the generation of new skin cells, increase fat accumulation around the waist and hips, and reduce memory and learning abilities.” 

Holy you know what! You might want to read that again, too much circulating cortisol is evil and it is produced in response to not only lack of sleep but to chronic stress that is not released from the body.

Bottom line boomers? If you don’t sleep well find out how you can improve your nocturnal hours. If you have chronic stress–an unhealthy relationship, an overly demanding job or boss, a health challenge–you owe it to yourself to get those things handled. Make it a priority so you can be around and living with a vengeance for all the things you have yet to do.