Even mild dehydration can wreak havoc on your body. Some symptoms associated with mild dehydration are weakness, muscle cramps, headaches, irritability, fatigue, trouble concentrating, palpitations, anxiety, and insomnia. Increasing your daily water intake is one of the easiest and healthiest ways to improve your quality of sleep. Follow the guidelines below to improve your sleep:
- Drink adequate amounts of fluids. Dehydration can lead to a reduction in melatonin which affects your sleep. It is estimated that over 70% of North Americans are chronically dehydrated! Try drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water a day and see how your sleep improves. The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate amount of non-dehydrating fluids per day for men is about 13 cups and for women about 9 cups.
- Cut off your water consumption 3 hours before bed so you are not bothered by night time bathroom interruptions.
- Side effects from increasing water intake may be better moods, improved sleep, and weight loss! When you are chronically dehydrated your body holds onto excess water for emergency use. A steady adequate amount of water signals your body to let go of excess water as you are no longer in dehydration survival mode. You may go to the bathroom more frequently at first, but after a couple of days, your body adjusts.
- Stay away from dehydrators like caffeine, alcohol, sugar, and excess carbohydrates. Some medications can cause dehydration and addition fluid consumption may be needed. Health concerns such as Adrenal Fatigue also cause dehydration.
Sources and Further Reading:
Think You’re Drinking Enough Water?
You May Be Dehydrated Even If You Drink Lots of Water: Dehydration Risks & Solutions
How Can You Maximise Your Body’s Production of Melatonin?
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