Although most people get around five to seven hours of sleep a night, experts caution that number should really be somewhere closer to eight hours of sleep. "The problem with being chronically sleep-deprived (as in, missing one to two hours nightly) is that the body perceives the sleep loss as a "stress," which increases levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol (which interferes with insulin function)," says Shawn Talbott, nutritional biochemist and author of "The Secret Vigor: How to Overcome Burnout, Restore Biochemical Balance, and Reclaim Your Natural Energy."
That means blood sugar regulation is compromised and you`ll crave more sweets and junk food. The increased appetite for unhealthy snacks puts you at risk for abdominal weight gain, diabetes and obesity. Yikes!
Sleep Repairs and Rebuilds Cells
When we sleep, our body helps repair and rebuild cells more efficiently, says Len Saunders, author of Keeping Kids Fit. "This will also help strengthen our immune system to fight sickness and disease," he explains.
Sleep Improves Memory
The right amount of sleep can improve your memory, creativity, and awareness. "Another job our body performs more effectively while we sleep is repairing neurons in the cerebral cortex of the brain, which is related to improving memory and concentration," Saunders explains.
Sleep Prevents Illness
Not only can enough sleep keep you at a healthy weight, it can also help prevent medical illnesses. "Sleep deprivation is often derived from an untreated sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea or snoring and can cause serious medical illnesses such as high blood pressure and heart failure," says Dr. David Volpi, Founder of Eos Sleep (formerly Manhattan Snoring & Sleep Center).
Sleep Improves Your Energy Level
Some of the most obvious benefits of getting enough sleep are improved energy, vitality and endurance, says Randy Ganther, weight loss expert. With enough sleep, you`ll be able to function the best of your ability at work, during your workouts.
Sleep Helps Beat Depression
If you get an adequate amount of sleep, you improve your mood. Insomnia increases your risk for depression and anxiety, says Elizabeth Lombardo, psychologist and author of A Happy You: Your Ultimate Prescription for Happiness. But Lombardo cautions that there is such a thing as too much sleep. For instance, people who are depressed often sleep 12 or more hours a night.
How to Get More Sleep Tonight
Daniel Cohen, a holistic health and wellness counselor, suggests the following tips to help you get more sleep:
Get into a routine. Try going to bed half an hour earlier each week or set a bedtime. This will get your body used to a schedule.
Relax before bed. Turning the television off and taking some time out for yourself before bedtime, whether it be relaxing with a good book or meditating. This will help reset your brain and get it into sleep mode.
Cut out the caffeine! As we all know, caffeine keeps us stay alert and ready to start the day. If you are the type of person that gets a jolt from caffeine, cutting it out four to six hours before bedtime can help ensure that you get a restful night`s sleep.
Eat a high-protein snack before bed. This can provide the L-tryptophan your body needs to process melatonin and serotonin.
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