Summary of Practices To Stay Young Forever:
In this episode of Doctor’s Farmacy, Dr. Mark Hyman talks about the science of helping you age in reverse and feel younger. He explains how your daily behaviors, such as sleep, stress management, self-care, connecting with others, and having a sense of purpose, are the biggest factors driving your health and determining your health span and lifespan. He also explains the importance of getting at least seven hours of sleep a night, as it affects your metabolism, weight, mood, brain function, hormones, and immune system. Dr. Hyman also provides tips on how to improve your sleep, such as setting a regular bedtime, avoiding blue light exposure, and eliminating late-night eating and drinking. He also emphasizes the importance of self-care and putting yourself first on your to-do list.
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The Science of Longevity and Aging in Reverse
Sleep
Sleep is essential for healing, repair, and cellular cleanup. Over the last hundred years, we’ve cut about an hour off our sleep every night, maybe up to two hours. 70 million Americans have sleep problems. And lack of sleep not only impairs our ability to focus, and learn and concentrate, but it’s basically like being drunk during the day. It decreases our attention to detail or increase the risk of car accidents. And regularly sleeping less than seven hours a night has really profound negative effects on our heart, on our hormones, on our immune system and our brain. And the side effects include obesity, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, alcohol abuse, stroke, and even certain types of cancer. So if you sleep less than seven hours a night, get in bed a little earlier.
How to Improve Sleep
To improve sleep, commit to daily practices. Make sure you get your sleep, because having less than seven hours of sleep a night increases your risk of death by 24%. Create a nice environment for sleep. Make sure it’s calming, dark, and quiet. Get rid of all the blue light exposure two to three hours before bed. Don’t work in your bed. Don’t do TV in your bed. Wear blue blocker glasses. Don’t drink coffee after noon. Get a morning light. 20 minutes of bright light in the morning can have a huge impact on resetting your circadian rhythms, your pineal gland. Don’t eat late. And you can use herbs like passion flower, valerian, and magnesium.
Lifestyle Factors
Besides sleep, self-care is also important. A lot of us put ourselves last on our to-do list. Bad idea. Make sure you practice good sleep hygiene, which means regular rhythm, waking up and going to bed at the same time every day, using your bed for romance and sleep. Take care of your body and mind, and get enough rest. Also, don’t drink alcohol or eat late. And get some exercise. Exercise can help with sleep, mood, and longevity.
Conclusion
To age in reverse and feel younger, it’s important to practice good sleep hygiene, self-care, and healthy lifestyle habits. Get enough sleep, practice good sleep hygiene, and make sure you take care of your body and mind. Also, don’t drink alcohol or eat late. And get some exercise. These are all important factors that can help you age in reverse and live a longer, healthier life.
