| The following information is adapted from The Better Sleep Guide, a free brochure from by the Better Sleep Council's "Consumer Information Series."
Good Sleep Is Your Key to Good Health
Eating right, exercising and sleeping well are key contributors to a healthy lifestyle. But many people underestimate the value of sleep. Like proper nutrition and exercise, sleep is essential to feeling your best.
When you go to sleep, your body goes to work
The mind and body do not shut down during sleep. Sleep allows the brain to consolidate the day’s learning into memory and improves the ability to learn repetitive skills. During sleep, the body replaces old cells with new ones and reenergizes organs and muscles. Getting the right amount of sleep and getting a combination of light and deep sleep provide the most restorative benefit.
Sleeplessness adds up to a sleep debt
Sleep loss that accumulates from one night to the next is known as a "sleep debt" or sleep deprivation. Even a modest loss may produce a serious sleep debt when sustained over several nights. Hint: You can’t train your body to need less sleep.
Sleep deprivation has high costs
The National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research estimates that sleep deprivation costs billions of dollars annually in accidents and lost productivity to our society. The effects on quality of life for millions of individuals and families are incalculable.
Sleep research shows that inadequate sleep can result in:
- higher stress
- shortened temper
- lower motivation
- slower reflexes
- more mistakes
Sleep disorders
In some instances, severe sleep deprivation is a sign of a sleep disorder such as insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy or restless legs syndrome. If you feel you have a chronic or serious sleep problem, see your doctor or a sleep specialist. See our related links section on the right side of this page for some sites where you can find more information on these topics.
|
