Nightly ZZZZZs Help Body and Mind

There’s a reason your body recoils when the morning alarm sounds—you need more sleep. If you’re like many Americans, you’re probably not getting enough. And studies show this can lead to obesity, heart disease or diabetes.

Besides making you drowsy the next day, not sleeping enough can cause you to feel cranky and mentally drained. And, according to recent studies in the Archives of Internal Medicine, over time, lack of sleep may pack on the pounds.

There’s also evidence that not getting enough sleep could raise the risk for diabetes and coronary heart disease. Sleep affects our hormone levels and the amount of inflammation in our body, which can contribute to arthritis, heart disease, diabetes and other conditions.

The ideal amount of sleep for adults is between seven and eight hours each night. Here are some suggestions for better snoozing:

• Go for a walk in the late afternoon.
• Eat a light dinner—nothing too spicy.
• Turn off the TV, sip some herbal tea and listen to soft music before bed.
• Replace your mattress if you’ve had it for more than a decade.
• Take a hot bath before going to bed.