Thursday, December 02, 2010

How important is sleep

It eludes me sometimes - but the little I get is quality?

Only in sleep does your body truly heal and rejuvenate. During the bliss of slumber you are actively regenerating your tissues, normalising hormone levels, restoring depleted energy reserves, improving your mood and even your appearance. There is nothing like the fresh visage that follows a night of nourishing sleep.
On the other hand, experiencing disrupted sleep or altered sleep cycles has a profoundly negative effect on your mental, emotional and physical health, especially if the disturbance becomes prolonged over many years. In fact, it shortens your life expectancy. Fortunately, if sleep problems affect you, there are natural solutions to help you rediscover the pleasure of slipping into deep and refreshing slumber — and making a habit of it.
Never underestimate the power of a good night’s rest. Skimping on sleep does awful things to your brain. Planning, problem-solving, learning, concentration, working memory and alertness all take a hit. IQ scores tumble. “If you have been awake for 21 hours straight, your abilities are equivalent to someone who is legally drunk,” says Sean Drummond from the University of California, San Diego. An all-night vigil is not all it takes to suffer the effects: two or three late nights and early mornings in a row have the same effect.
  • WellBeing
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