[Senior alert] Too much ‘solo time’ could land you in an early grave
Friend, if you’re like me, you’ve been pretty focused on STAYING infection-free…
And NOT CONTAMINATING our friends and loved ones.
But that means we might’ve fallen by the wayside when it comes to something CRUCIAL.
Our social circles!
If you’ve practically forgotten what it’s like to socialize… now that we’re well into our second year of isolation…
You should know that loneliness carries its own risks… especially over the long term.
As we head into a holiday weekend… and the unofficial “end of summer”… here’s something to keep in mind.
Back in 2018… nearly 2 YEARS before we were first ordered to “stay at home”… the chief medical officer for behavioral health for health insurer Cigna sounded the alarm.
He warned that the loneliness “epidemic” had begun giving more widely-accepted health risks a run for their money.
That’s right – feeling lonely was getting right up there with smoking and obesity!
In fact, rates of loneliness are reportedly 2X what they were in the 1980s.
And that’s something we should be paying MORE attention to…
As lonely folks are MORE likely to suffer from cognitive decline… immune system problems… heart disease and stroke…
And may even land in an early grave.
A 2017 report revealed that social isolation… loneliness… or even just LIVING alone could boost premature death risk AT LEAST as much as obesity.
Yet the mainstream just IGNORES this condition…
And if you ask me, that comes as NO SURPRISE.
Because there’s NO pill that can make you feel less lonely!
Now, you know that you’ve got to stay in touch with your family and friends… and BRIDGE the gap despite “social distancing.”
But there’s something else you can do – a secret that those with LOWER “loneliness scores” share.
Clinical research CONFIRMS what people who are less lonely are claiming is their secret.
Get plenty of quality sleep!
Sure, feels of isolation may keep you up at night…
But according to a 2018 study out of UC Berkeley, the connection between the two works in the OTHER direction, too.
A lack of restful sleep could make you FEEL more disconnected and isolated…
And make you ACT more withdrawn!
And the more you RETREAT from social interaction…
You could become LONELIER… and lose even MORE sleep!
It’s a vicious cycle…
But you could bring it to a SCREECHING HALT.
And you could start TONIGHT.
Natural sleep aids could help… by making sure your sleep is UNDISTURBED.
For starters, you could try melatonin… 5-HTP… ashwagandha… or hop oil.
To sleeping your way to feeling less lonely,
Sarah Reagan
