Sleep Shortage: A Silent Life Shortener

Sleep is often overlooked, but it's a big deal. Recent findings show that not getting enough sleep can cut your life short. It's more impactful than diet or exercise. Only smoking has a bigger effect on how long you live. Many adults don't get enough sleep. Over a third miss the recommended seven hours each night. Millions suffer from long-term sleep issues. Poor sleep is linked to serious health problems. These include high blood pressure, diabetes, and even depression. This study is the first to show how sleep affects life expectancy across the US. It's a wake-up call to prioritize sleep. But getting enough sleep isn't always easy. Here are some tricks to help you snooze faster. One method is cognitive shuffling. It's like shuffling a deck of cards but with your thoughts. You pick a word and think of others that start with the same letters. This distracts your mind and helps you relax. Another trick is the voodoo eye method. You move your eyes in different directions while keeping them closed. It's like a simple form of therapy that calms your body. The alpha bridge method is another technique. It was developed by the US Navy. It helps boost brain waves that calm your mind. You count to 30 with your eyes closed, then open them slightly, and repeat. Writing a short to-do list before bed can also help. It's called cognitive offloading. It lets you dump your worries onto paper. This makes it easier to fall asleep. Lastly, there's pre-dreaming. You picture a relaxing scene to slow down your anxious thoughts. This focuses your mind on visualization, helping you drift off to sleep.