Wellness Corner 10: Sleep!
Hey Kinkaid Community,
I hope y’all had a great spring break! I’m back for another wellness corner.
High schoolers are sleepless dreamers. Staying up till the ungodly hours of the morning, stressing about tests… that’s our jam. Here’s the thing: it turns out that lack of sleep or increased stress can actually lead directly to insulin resistance and weight gain – even if you’re eating healthily and exercising.
A lack of sleep can increase insulin resistance, which causes more sleep disruptions, which leads to increased stress hormone production, which impacts sleep and insulin resistance. It’s a vicious cycle. Insulin resistance is also linked to depression and anxiety, both of which can cause added stress and poor sleep. Studies have shown that even going just one night with four or fewer hours of sleep will immediately reduce insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation, as well as increase triglycerides and stress hormones.
The only way to reverse this process is to break the cycle. According to the CDC, more than a third of Americans get less than seven hours of sleep per night. And even if you are sleeping for seven hours or more, you might not be getting high-quality sleep, which can be just as damaging as not getting enough sleep at all. Learn more about good sleep hygiene on WellBase here.
As we jump into the second half of spring semester, try your best to balance the three S’s: sleep, social activity, and studying. Best of luck for the final stretch :)
Stay well,
Eshaan Mani — Outreach Officer @ The Wellness Committee
