Our modern society sometimes treats sleep as a decadent indulgence, shameful and lazy in the face of a busy life.
So much so that sleep deprivation has become the single biggest threat to our health and wellbeing as rarely do we get 8 hours of solid sleep.
In our quest for health and fitness, we often look to diet and exercise alone as drivers; however, better quality of sleep is by far more effective in controlling weight and sense of wellbeing.
Proper sleep directly affects the functioning of the brain and therefore its cognitive ability to make decisions.
Neuroscientists are now beginning to explain why it is so important to get enough sleep. The theory of “restoration” has been cited as far back as Aristotle as the main intuitive purpose for sleep.
The current research evidence concludes that; sleep is also necessary for brain processing and memory consolidation. Hundreds of trials show consistently that, sleep deprivation causes poor memory, poor problem-solving, increase in impulsiveness and overall poor judgment. In fact, 17 hours of no sleep is equivalent to a blood alcohol reading of .05!
On the other hand, proper sleep abates chronic illness such as; heart disease, heart attacks, diabetes, and obesity.
Better sleep also reduces pain due to inflammation, increases the feeling of strength, resilience, creativity, intelligence, and increases good will towards others.
In short, more sleep makes you a better “can do” person and feel like a winner in life!
Sleep well!
Anna
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