Although sufficient sleep is essential to any healthy lifestyle, it is very difficult to get as much as we should. There is no exception for celebrities. 49-year-old Jennifer Lopez balances a busy career while being an active mother of two children. Lopez has realized that the only way she can be the best mother possible is by taking care of herself too. She is now calling her firm sleep schedule her secret weapon to a healthy lifestyle, according to Today .
The Second Act star recently opened up to Today Show anchor Willie Geist about how she makes time for sleep while maintaining her fast-paced lifestyle.
“Get seven to nine hours of sleep, like carve it out,” Lopez said. “Now the other hours of the day? I’m going full speed. I’m full speed on the rest. But when I lay down I’m like ‘okay, I need my rest.’ And when I don’t get it, something’s gonna suffer. You know, like it will and I’ve learned that.” Her determination to get enough sleep isn’t just for her benefit, it’s for her family too, she says.
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While some people may be able to function on little to no sleep, Lopez says that is not in her nature. Working on too little sleep can cause her to be anxious and irritable, barely able to fulfill daily responsibilities.
“I’ve hit the wall,” Lopez said. “I’ve had the nervous breakdown where I freeze up from doing too much and not getting sleep. So that’s super important to me. I can’t do that now that I have kids. I can’t have the freeze up.”
This freeze-up moment the star speaks of isn’t an uncommon problem. Poor sleep habits can have disastrous effects on overall health. Lack of sleep leads to not only less brain power but puts you at a higher risk for high blood pressure, depression and anxiety. If poor sleep habits are kept up for too long, they can even shorten one’s lifespan.
Sleep is not the only area of her health that Lopez works hard to maintain. The star has been known to abstain from alcohol completely in order to keep her body in tip-top shape. After all, with a schedule as busy as her’s, there is no time to be hungover. She also tries her best to eat as clean as possible and keep up a regular workout routine.
“I try to regulate myself and live healthy, but also enjoy myself,” she said.
