If you are one of those people who feel that time spent sleeping is a waste, you may change your mind after reading this.
The fact is that sleeping well and as much as possible has plenty of benefits. Extra rest improves your life in several ways: inadequate sleep is now associated with heart disease, diabetes, and obesity among other chronic conditions.
The worst part is that we bring most of this onto ourselves: Much of our sleep debt has been run up by choice as we simply don't want to turn off the lights. Maybe we would, if we knew that sleep provides the regenerative rest that is a critical foundation of health as well as a source of abundant energy. So do give yourself permission to sleep that extra hour in a day, and watch how this restores your sense of well- being. Most of us don't have the time to catch up on lost sleep by napping in the middle of the day, but we can make adjustments in our habits to improve the quality and quantity of regenerative rest at night.
Restorative benefits
The benefits of sleeping eight hours or more have been confirmed by experts. Sleep is restorative and healing as it promotes cellular rejuvenation. Your body produces extra protein molecules while you're sleeping, and these help to mend your body at a cellular level. Damage wrought by several factors such as stress, pollutants, infection, sun exposure and so on, is repaired while you're happily in the land of nod. Your heart and cardiovascular system is constantly under pressure, and one of the benefits of sleep is that it helps to reduce the levels of stress and inflammation in your body. A good night's sleep can lower blood pressure and helps to reverse these effects of our elevated levels of stress hormones which are a natural result of today's fast paced lifestyle. Cholesterol levels are also lowered.
Brain & Body benefits
Solutions also appear to problems while we sleep.
That familiar ' foggy' feeling that arises when deprived of sleep makes it difficult to concentrate. This often leads to not being able to focus on faces, names or even conversations! Sleeping well eliminates these difficulties because as you sleep, your brain is busy organising and correlating memories. One of the great benefits of sleep is that it allows your brain to process new experiences and information, increasing your understanding and retention.
So, next time someone says, " Why don't you sleep on it", do take their advice.
One of the lesser known benefits of sleep is that it helps regulate the hormones that affect and control your appetite. Studies have shown that when your body is deprived of sleep, the normal balance of hormones is disrupted and your appetite increases. Unfortunately this increase in appetite certainly doesn't lead to a craving for health food! Instead your body longs for food high in calories, fats and carbohydrates! So, if you're trying to lose those stubborn few pounds that just keep hanging around, make sure that getting enough sleep becomes a priority.
When sleep evades you
If you have problems falling asleep, or are unable to sleep for more than 6 hours at a stretch, it is worth consulting a doctor. Snoring, stress, heartburn and chronic pain can all disrupt your rest and may be the symptoms of serious health issues. Sleep deprivation adds up to what is called a sleep debt. Paying off this debt may seem tough but will improve your health. Here are some tried and tested ways of improving the quality of your sleep.
