Get Enough Sleep

FACT: Lack of sleep can also lead to potentially serious health problems.

Sleep deprivation causes the body to continuously release cortisol, a stress hormone, into the bloodstream. High levels of this hormone can work against you in several ways.

Cortisol stimulates a rise in blood glucose, which prompts the body to release more insulin. Over time, the increased production of insulin may lead to insulin resistance, a condition in which the body’s cells become less and less responsive to the effects of insulin—and, in some cases, the condition can progress to type 2 diabetes. You might also get sick more easily: high levels of circulating cortisol suppress the immune system, making you more vulnerable to infections.

To get a full night's sleep, try going to bed earlier than you usually do. Engage in ritual relaxing activities before bed, such as reading a book. Don't take work-related reading material to bed with you. Try to go to bed and get up at the same time every day so you can program a sleep schedule into your body's biological clock. Avoid alcohol in the late evening; it disrupts your sleep cycle.