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Fittest Loser Tip of the Week: Getting sleep

Many people fall short of the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night. With busy schedules, it may be tempting to stay up late, but sleep is an important factor in overall health. A good night's sleep allows bodies to rest, repair cells and fight off illness.

Insufficient sleep can cause many negative side effects, including drowsiness, loss of productivity and impaired judgment. In addition, losing sleep can affect mood and increase the risk of accidents and injury.

Long-term side effects include weight gain, obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Your lifestyle, schedule and stress can affect how much sleep you get each night. If you're having trouble sleeping, here are several tips:

• Stick to a schedule to help regulate your body's internal clock

• Exercise

• Avoid caffeine, alcohol and nicotine

• Establish a relaxing bedtime routine

• Keep the TV out of your room as bright light can interfere with your natural sleep cycle

• Have comfortable bedding and pillows

• Keep your bedroom temperature between 60 and 67 degrees

• Jill Micklow is a Wellness Consultant on the Employee Benefits team at Assurance, a Top 50 U.S. insurance brokerage headquartered in Schaumburg, IL. She brings Assurance's passion for "minimizing risk and maximizing health" to clients nationwide by helping identify specific health and wellness goals and then tailoring wellness programs for short and long-term success.

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