With so many things to do and goals to achieve, we seem to be running short of time. Yet doctors recommend we should sleep for 7-8 hours daily – that’s a third of our lifespan. Is it necessary?
Sleep is vital, important for maintaining good health – both physical and mental. How we function during the day – our eating patterns, mental performance, memory, even emotional control, depends on how well we slept the night before. And the effect can be cumulative.
This is what sleep does…
It is important for learning and memory – All that you learn during the day is stored as memory because of the new nerve cell connections formed during sleep.
It improves problem solving skills, makes one more creative and helps in decision making.
It improves the ability to focus and pay attention.
Adequate sleep (7-8 hours of night time sleep) is essential for many functions of the body.
Improper/inadequate sleep…
Increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke as the regular repair and healing of blood vessels and heart does not happen.
Increases the risk of Diabetes – Improper sleep regulates the release and utilisation of insulin, leading to insulin resistance and high blood sugar.
Increases risk of obesity by adversely affecting hunger and satiety hormones.
Increases risk of infection – improper sleep over a period of time weakens the response of immune system, increasing the frequency to catch cold and other common infections.
Decreases growth and tissue repair – less sleep decreases the release of growth hormones slowing growth in children and tissue repair in adults.
Finally-poor sleep is also the cause of many accidents.
That’s reason enough to go to bed!
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