Happy Friday everyone! I thought it was important to point out some of the health benefits of getting a good night’s sleep! Sleep is vital for our bodies!!!
Improve Memory
Your mind is surprisingly busy while you snooze. During sleep you can strengthen memories or "practice" skills learned while you were awake (it's a process called consolidation). If you are trying to learn something, whether it's physical or mental, you learn it to a certain point with practice. But something happens while you sleep that makes you learn it better. In other words if you're trying to learn something new -- whether it's Spanish or a new tennis swing -- you'll perform better after sleeping.
Curb Inflammation
Inflammation is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, and premature aging. Research indicates that people who get less sleep -- six or fewer hours a night -- have higher blood levels of inflammatory proteins than those who get more.
Repair Our Bodies
The body goes into repair mode when we're asleep. Protein is generated when you are sleeping, and protein is necessary to repair the things our bodies have been exposed to during the day. According to Longevity.about.com, protein molecules are the foundation for cells, and these healthy cells are needed to fix whatever damage we have sustained from stress or exposure to toxins during our waking hours. Also, the human growth hormone (HGH) steps up production while we sleep and repairs tissue and muscular damage. Since there are no other distractions, full focus can be put on restoring our bodies and minds to a healthy balance, so that we are rested and in good shape upon awakening.
Sharpen Attention
A lack of sleep can result in ADHD-like symptoms in kids. Kids don't react the same way to sleep deprivation as adults do. Whereas adults get sleepy, kids tend to get hyperactive. A 2009 study in the journal Pediatrics found that children ages seven and eight who got less than about eight hours of sleep a night were more likely to be hyperactive, inattentive, and impulsive.
Have a Healthy Weight
If you are thinking about going on a diet, you might want to plan an earlier bedtime too. Researchers at the University of Chicago found that dieters who were well rested lost more fat -- 56 percent of their weight loss -- than those who were sleep deprived, who lost more muscle mass. (They shed similar amounts of total weight regardless of sleep.) Dieters in the study also felt more hungry when they got less sleep. Sleep and metabolism are controlled by the same sectors of the brain. When you are sleepy, certain hormones go up in your blood, and those same hormones drive appetite.
Lower Stress
When it comes to our health, stress and sleep are nearly one and the same -- and both can affect cardiovascular health. Sleep can definitely reduce levels of stress, and with that people can have better control of their blood pressure. It's also believed that sleep effects cholesterol levels, which plays a significant role in heart disease.
Avoid Accidents
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in 2009 that being tired accounted for the highest number of fatal single-car run-off-the-road crashes due to the driver's performance -- even more than alcohol! Sleepiness is grossly underrated as a problem by most people, but the cost to society is enormous. Sleeplessness affects reaction time and decision making. Insufficient sleep for just one night can be as detrimental to your driving ability as having an alcoholic drink.
Steer Clear of Depression
Sleeping well means more to our overall well-being than simply avoiding irritability. A lack of sleep can contribute to depression. A good night's sleep can really help a moody person decrease their anxiety. You get more emotional stability with good sleep.
If you think the long hours put in during the week are the cause of your anxiety or impatience, sleep cannot necessarily be made up during the weekend. If you sleep more on the weekends, you simply aren't sleeping enough in the week. It's all about finding a balance.
Spur Creativity
Get a good night's sleep before getting out the easel and paintbrushes or the pen and paper. In addition to consolidating memories, or making them stronger, your brain appears to reorganize and restructure them, which may result in more creativity as well.
So GET SOME SLEEP!!! ( Just make sure you aren’t at work! J)
Improve Memory
Your mind is surprisingly busy while you snooze. During sleep you can strengthen memories or "practice" skills learned while you were awake (it's a process called consolidation). If you are trying to learn something, whether it's physical or mental, you learn it to a certain point with practice. But something happens while you sleep that makes you learn it better. In other words if you're trying to learn something new -- whether it's Spanish or a new tennis swing -- you'll perform better after sleeping.
Curb Inflammation
Inflammation is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, and premature aging. Research indicates that people who get less sleep -- six or fewer hours a night -- have higher blood levels of inflammatory proteins than those who get more.
Repair Our Bodies
The body goes into repair mode when we're asleep. Protein is generated when you are sleeping, and protein is necessary to repair the things our bodies have been exposed to during the day. According to Longevity.about.com, protein molecules are the foundation for cells, and these healthy cells are needed to fix whatever damage we have sustained from stress or exposure to toxins during our waking hours. Also, the human growth hormone (HGH) steps up production while we sleep and repairs tissue and muscular damage. Since there are no other distractions, full focus can be put on restoring our bodies and minds to a healthy balance, so that we are rested and in good shape upon awakening.
Sharpen Attention
A lack of sleep can result in ADHD-like symptoms in kids. Kids don't react the same way to sleep deprivation as adults do. Whereas adults get sleepy, kids tend to get hyperactive. A 2009 study in the journal Pediatrics found that children ages seven and eight who got less than about eight hours of sleep a night were more likely to be hyperactive, inattentive, and impulsive.
Have a Healthy Weight
If you are thinking about going on a diet, you might want to plan an earlier bedtime too. Researchers at the University of Chicago found that dieters who were well rested lost more fat -- 56 percent of their weight loss -- than those who were sleep deprived, who lost more muscle mass. (They shed similar amounts of total weight regardless of sleep.) Dieters in the study also felt more hungry when they got less sleep. Sleep and metabolism are controlled by the same sectors of the brain. When you are sleepy, certain hormones go up in your blood, and those same hormones drive appetite.
Lower Stress
When it comes to our health, stress and sleep are nearly one and the same -- and both can affect cardiovascular health. Sleep can definitely reduce levels of stress, and with that people can have better control of their blood pressure. It's also believed that sleep effects cholesterol levels, which plays a significant role in heart disease.
Avoid Accidents
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in 2009 that being tired accounted for the highest number of fatal single-car run-off-the-road crashes due to the driver's performance -- even more than alcohol! Sleepiness is grossly underrated as a problem by most people, but the cost to society is enormous. Sleeplessness affects reaction time and decision making. Insufficient sleep for just one night can be as detrimental to your driving ability as having an alcoholic drink.
Steer Clear of Depression
Sleeping well means more to our overall well-being than simply avoiding irritability. A lack of sleep can contribute to depression. A good night's sleep can really help a moody person decrease their anxiety. You get more emotional stability with good sleep.
If you think the long hours put in during the week are the cause of your anxiety or impatience, sleep cannot necessarily be made up during the weekend. If you sleep more on the weekends, you simply aren't sleeping enough in the week. It's all about finding a balance.
Spur Creativity
Get a good night's sleep before getting out the easel and paintbrushes or the pen and paper. In addition to consolidating memories, or making them stronger, your brain appears to reorganize and restructure them, which may result in more creativity as well.
So GET SOME SLEEP!!! ( Just make sure you aren’t at work! J)
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