Living a long life is great, but the quality of our years is at least as important as the quantity. In our world today, people are living longer than ever. How to make the most of that time?
Well, that’s a bigger question that anyone can answer in a blog. But we found a recent report lists a few steps you can take to help your body age well.
According to the report, it’s important to keep your brain active, maintain social ties, and guard auditory and vision health. But that’s not all! Manage your long-term wellbeing by watching your heart health, eating an excellent diet, exercising and strengthening your muscles, and last but not least—sleeping well.
Well, geez. It’s not so easy to do all of those things and still get a good night’s sleep.
It’s true that sleep often falls by the wayside as we seek to manage our health amid the demands of our hectic modern lives—work, social events, food preparation, exercise, running errands and keeping up with the laundry. We tend to think of health as being linked to activity—whether mental or physical. And that’s legitimate. But it’s helpful to remember that activity must be balanced with rest to help us age gracefully and in good health.
Good sleep and aging well go hand-in-hand. As Harrison Bloom, a physician and senior associate with the International Longevity Center USA in New York, told the Washington Post a few years ago: “The idea that people need and want less sleep as they get older is a myth.”
As we age, the type of sleep we get often changes, as we may not sleep as deeply, or awaken more frequently than we did when we were young. But that doesn’t mean we need less sleep—indeed we must take steps to ensure we are still getting enough.
Disturbed sleep increases the risk of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, depression and hypertension. If you have trouble sleeping, consider consulting your doctor about potential treatments.
Remember, sleeping well can lead to living well…for many, many years.
Sleep tight, Urbanites!