FREE Delivery on Orders R3 999+ Ts & Cs

Are Your Healthy Habits Harming Your Sleep

R 0
Get your goods upfront and pay for
them over 3 interest free instalments
of R 0.00. Standard shipping terms
apply.
Find out how >>

Out of Stock

Our living and working habits have changed, so have the ways we've managed our diet and exercise regimes. These changes could be disrupting your body's "circadian rhythm". Read More.

While stocks lasts

Details & Specs

Are Your Healthy Habits Harming Your Sleep?

Author: Dial•a•Bed | May 2020

Are you making healthy lifestyle changes, but still feeling tired during the day? This may be why...

As many of our living and working habits have drastically changed, so have the ways we've managed our diet and exercise regimes. However, these changes, as healthy as they may be, could be disrupting your body's "circadian rhythm".

What is a circadian rhythm? 

All living organisms have what scientists call a 'circadian rhythm' which is an internal body clock encoded within our cells. This circadian rhythm is what regulates our body's metabolism and is what causes our body to sleep or feel awake at particular times of the day. While healthy lifestyle habits such as regular exercise are important in maintaining sleep health, some of these habits can actually be detrimental to your sleep health. Here are three healthy habits that could be messing up your internal body clock: 

  1. Exercising too early or too late in the day

Regular exercise is great for your overall sleep health. Exercise regulates your metabolism and helps set your circadian rhythm but it also has the effect of releasing 'wakeful hormones' such as endorphins. Research led by Christopher Colwell, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, suggests that exercise does affect our circadian rhythm, and the effect may be most beneficial if the exercise is undertaken midday. But this is not always realistic for the busy, working life. Research also suggests that, if you didn't have a restful sleep the previous night, exercising too early in the day can disrupt your sleep pattern and cause fatigue. It’s okay to skip your workout for one morning and make up the sleep that evening. The important thing for a healthy circadian rhythm is to keep to a regular routine that works around your natural sleep cycle.

  1. Planning your meals around your exercise regime

Most people prefer to forego their usual meal-time to squeeze in a workout session, but research suggests that planning your meals around your exercise regime can throw your internal body clock off-balance. A recent study by UT Southwestern Medical Centre found that mice who were given regular eating schedules slept normally at night, while mice who were fed irregularly were more active when they were meant to be sleeping. 

Similar results were echoed in a 2017 study of a group of young men who experienced disruptions to their sleep patterns due to irregular eating schedules. Moreover, eating at the wrong time of day can have a significant impact on body weight and our circadian rhythm. According to Dr Joseph S. Takashashi, Chairman of Neuroscience at UT South Western Medical Centre, for those who are trying to lose weight, dieting will only be effective if calories are consumed during the daytime when you are awake and active. Eating at the wrong time, such as late at night, will not lead to weight loss even when dieting. 

  1. Catching up on sleep on the weekend

In 2016, Norwegian and Swedish sleep researchers at Karolinska Institute found that sleep rhythms need to be maintained throughout the week—even on weekends. Your internal body clock thrives on regularity and even minor disruptions to your normal sleep patterns can cause tiredness and a feeling of jet-lag. The study echoed similar findings to an Australian study in 2008 that found catching up on sleep on the weekend could actually be detrimental to your circadian rhythm and could lead to greater daytime fatigue and a decline in mood and cognitive functioning. 

According to science, the best way to develop and maintain your overall well-being and maximize the results of your healthy habits is to prioritize your sleep health.

See more
More Information
Delivery Locations (Which areas are delivered to) We deliver anywhere in South Africa
Write Your Own Review
You're reviewing:Are Your Healthy Habits Harming Your Sleep
Your Rating
Review
Mobicred logo or pay on credit from R-0 per month