Sleep for Health

How a Good Night's Sleep Can Make Us Grow
Sleep these days has become the most desired and precious asset as every one of us is loosing this asset fast for one reason or the other. We all have somehow and somewhere noticed that over the last several decades there has been a massive decline in the amount of sleep we get and the quality of it.
In New York City businesses are thriving that offer people a cubicle where they can go take a nap during their lunch hour!
Millions of people have resorted to popping pills (in U.S. only 42 million prescriptions were filled in 2005) and these folks are taking their chances with the nasty side effects in the pursuit of proper rest. These millions of people – does that include us? – are putting their health, quality of life and even the expected length of their life in serious jeopardy.
We probably don’t need a well-rested writer to tell us that sleep deprivation isn’t fun. But we may not realize exactly how much deeper this problem runs and how much more significant the impact is on our life.
How to Live a Longer, Healthier Life?
Four out of every ten Americans get less that seven hours of sleep per night and it’s taking a toll. It is known and said that “The link between sleep and health, and bad sleep and disease is becoming clearer and clearer”.
We appreciate the good doctor’s trusted advice, but do we really need scientific studies to tell us this? If we feel terrible from a lack of sleep, do we think that’s GOOD for our health? Is this just a plain common sense? Of course not.
In Readers Digest, a doctor has told “When people are sleep-deprived, there are higher levels of stress hormones in their bodies and an increase in inflammation, both of which can decrease immune function.”
While the amount of sleep people get has declined, the incidences of high blood pressure have increased. Here’s a fact: blood pressure and heart rate are typically lowest during sleep; people who get less sleep tend to have high blood pressure. All this tends to lead to increased risk of heart attack, diabetes, weight gain and a laundry list of other problems.
Plus, research also shows that a lack of sleep is seriously inhibiting our immune system which means we're more likely to get sick - and often.
Jane E. Brody has written:-
"No one questions the value of a good night's sleep. Whether we are biologically programmed to sleep 4 hours, 10 hours, or, like most people, 7 or 8 hours a night, failure to get the amount of sleep we need can impair learning and memory, problem-solving ability, safety, emotional stability, immune defenses, cardiovascular health and even body weight.
Sleep-deprived people tend to be irritable, impatient, moody, unable to cope well with stress and too tired to do the things they enjoy. Their appetite-controlling hormones are disrupted and may lead to overeating and weight gain. Resulting daytime sleepiness can impair work performance and result in accidents."
More than the Health Benefits We Want to Look & Feel Better!
People living with a lack of sleep experience more physical ailments, which include headaches, stomach problems, higher blood pressure, hormonal imbalances, abnormal metabolism, increased swelling and inflammation... we get that.
And, it’s no wonder we honestly look like hell, like death warmed over when we don’t get proper sleep.
One of the reasons points to growth hormones – they’re essential to keeping us looking great as we grow older. Growth hormones are rejuvenating and they help us with better muscle mass, better muscle tone and better skin. All that adds up to we looking sexy. We want to keep our growth hormones high and the best way to do that is sleep.
Very simply, when we don’t get proper sleep, we don’t look our best, we don’t feel our best, we don’t feel sexy and our relationship (and mental well-being) can suffer.
Human growth hormone are easy to nurture as we're going to get them in our life -- without any cutting, nipping, or real tucking necessary. A free asset in all of our bodies that can truly work wonders when we nourish and supports its functions. And all that starts and ends with a good night's sleep.
We normally forget about the Human Growth Hormone in our daily lives as we check off our To Dos and sacrifice sleep for seemingly getting more done. We resort to countless beauty products, fad diets, day spas, drugs, and over-the-counter lotions and potions."
So, till now who knew sleep was so vitally important to our sex life?
Who Else Wants to Be Happier and Less Stressed?
More than half of all adults surveyed by the National Sleep Foundation in 2005 said they experienced insomnia at least a few nights per week. Nearly half!
If we ever experienced insomnia, then this probably isn’t news: people with insomnia produce higher rates of stress hormones than others. This puts our body in a hyper-aroused state that can make it more difficult to unwind, relax and sleep.
We can already see where that vicious cycle goes; less sleep, more stress hormone, hyper aroused state, can’t sleep, more stress hormone, more hyper aroused, really can’t sleep . . . All this is going to make us mad.
If that’s not bad enough, this leads to depression for most people, they forget things they need to get done, they can’t focus, they become overwhelmed . . . all this is depressing, we don’t want to get out bed, answer the phone, deal with the kids, our boss, our spouse and that leads to more lost sleep.
How can anyone living like that possibly be happy?
We haven’t found the answer either. Don't bother trying.
Good sleep also leads to:
Building a better brain
Losing a few kilos
Faster healing
A healthier, stronger immune system
More energy
A sense of well-being
The ability to think more clearly and effectively
Increased level of patience
Fewer accidents in the workplace
So, it is better to invest in this asset as much as we can and enjoy the healthy, happy and satisfied lifestyle.