“Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” I’ve heard that saying and variations on it all my life. As a child, I practiced it, but as an adult I have not. I’m beginning to rethink this viewpoint.
Weight: Have you ever noticed the number of fast food commercials after eight p.m.? I have. The more burgers and pizzas I see, the hungrier I seem to feel. But, is it real hunger, or is it suggestive? I can’t answer that, but I do know if I’m in bed by ten, I eat far fewer calories, particularly of the bad kind.
This isn’t just a problem with me. A study indicates that those of us who stay up late do eat more. We also don’t eat the right things. It’s very easy to give into temptation and order that pizza…
More Alert: When I’m up late, it doesn’t matter what time I get up, I’m groggy. Part of that is due to watching TV or using the computer until bedtime. The lights are bright enough to prevent melatonin from starting our natural sleep cycle. Staying up late to catch up on your web activities isn’t going to make morning easier.
The Affect on Children: A new study has come out showing that children who go to bed early and get up early tend to be lean. In this age where childhood obesity is becoming the norm, this is good news.
The study focuses not on amount of sleep, but when the child slept. While the reason for the outcome isn’t totally known, a few facts give us clues. First of all, those who stay up late and get up late tend to play more video games and watch television than those who don’t.
The conclusion may be that the kids who get up early get more exercise, probably in the early part of the day while their counterparts are still asleep. I suspect it also goes back to the commercials. Watching food commercials may lead these children to eat more. With the lack of exercise, this is a recipe for childhood obesity.
It’s not easy to fit a proper sleep cycle into the busy life of an adult. We do have a lot more to do than our children. However, the benefits seem to make it something to work towards. I wouldn’t mind being healthy, wealthy and wise.