Get Your Sleep!

With peoples lifestyles being as busy as they are these days, many folks are missing out on much needed sleep. Most experts agree that 7-9 hours of sleep each day is required for optimal human body functioning. Reducing the amount of sleep will disrupt every physiologic in the body. When you start getting fewer than six hours per day, your risk for disease increases.
Most of us know that our muscles repair themselves and grow during sleep, not during exercise and so not getting enough will inhibit your progress. However, there are numerous other health problems associated with not getting proper rest.

Physiologic studies have found that being deprived of sleep may increase levels of stress hormones produced and can raise blood pressure. This is a major risk factor for strokes and heart attacks. Also, the sleep deprived individual has elevated levels of substances in the blood that indicate inflammation in the body. These high levels can predispose you to multiple cardiovascular problems as well as potentially shortening your lifespan. This also puts you at risk for heart disease, colon cancer, breast cancer, stroke, bipolar disorder and diabetes.
Lack of sleep also may increase the risk for Alzheimer’s Disease by producing abnormal levels of insulin.

Obesity has been linked with insufficient sleep due possible to the disruption of the hormone that controls your appetite. A recent survey indicated that those at risk were those getting 7 hours or fewer per day.
If none of the above kills you, then you may still have to deal with the following problems:

• Depression
• Memory loss
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Irritability
• Difficulty learning
• Moodiness

I’ve heard “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” many times, but not getting your much needed rest may just get you there a whole lot faster.