Quality sleep goes a long way in optimizing and maintaining good health. There is myriad reasons we need plenty of sleep including heart health, energy levels, and so we can handle the day to day stresses of life. In addition, modern studies of brain health have proven that our brains physically detox chemical waste during sleep. If these reasons aren’t enough, keep in mind that proper sleep also helps us lose weight and maintain healthy vibrant skin.
Studies show that getting the proper amount of sleep a night combined with being asleep by 11pm lowers ones risk of heart disease. The stress hormone cortisol which wreaks havoc on the heart is found to surge higher in people that are sleep deprived. It is not only the heart which needs the sleep, but also the brain. The brain has cells that specifically work on brain detoxification during sleep. While awake, the brain is needed for daily activities and to process massive amounts of information, so it isn’t until we are sleeping that these specific detox cells are able to go to work purifying our brains.
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Human Growth Hormone is another important compound that is released primarily during deep sleep. HGH as it is often referred to is responsible for repair. Repair of tissues, organs, and muscle helping to cut fat and help the body stay lean. This hormone has minor surges during the day, but at night when we are in deep sleep the body and brain are bathed in this health promoting hormone assisting us to reverse much of the damage done during the day.
Just how much sleep we need is different among each individual, and the best way to know is to simply assess how you feel each day. If you spend most of your days tired or sleepy, there is a good chance you need to increase the amount of sleep you are getting. Most experts agree that the typical amount needed by the average adult is between 7 and 8 hours a night, although there are people outside of that average that need as little as 6 or as many as 9 hours. The bottom line is most of us already have a good idea as to how much sleep our bodies need, and it simply becomes a matter of getting to bed early enough to accumulate those hours of sleep.
(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist, TV host and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch.)
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 13 Issue 9
Pub: Jan 30, 2015
