Go ahead, snooze!
Sleep makes you feel better, but its importance goes way beyond just boosting your mood or banishing under-eye circles.
Adequate sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle, and can benefit your heart, weight, mind, and more.
"Sleep used to be kind of ignored, like parking our car in a garage and picking it up in the morning," says David Rapoport, MD, director of the NYU Sleep Disorders Program.
Not anymore. Here are some health benefits researchers have discovered about a good night’s sleep.
Improve memory
Your mind is surprisingly busy while you snooze. During sleep you can strengthen memories or "practice" skills learned while you were awake (it’s a process called consolidation).
"If you are trying to learn something, whether it’s physical or mental, you learn it to a certain point with practice," says Dr. Rapoport, who is an associate professor at NYU Langone Medical Center. "But something happens while you sleep that makes you learn it better."
In other words if you’re trying to learn something new—whether it’s Spanish or a new tennis swing—you’ll perform better after sleeping.
Live longer?
Too much or too little sleep is associated with a shorter lifespan—although it’s not clear if it’s a cause or effect. (Illnesses may affect sleep patterns too.)
In a 2010 study of women ages 50 to 79, more deaths occurred in women who got less than five hours or more than six and a half hours of sleep per night.
Sleep also affects quality of life.
"Many things that we take for granted are affected by sleep," says Raymonde Jean, MD, director of sleep medicine and associate director of critical care at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City. "If you sleep better, you can certainly live better. It’s pretty clear."
Curb inflammation
Inflammation is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, and premature aging. Research indicates that people who get less sleep—six or fewer hours a night—have higher blood levels of inflammatory proteins than those who get more.
A 2010 study found that C-reactive protein, which is associated with heart attack risk, was higher in people who got six or fewer hours of sleep a night.
People who have sleep apnea or insomnia can have an improvement in blood pressure and inflammation with treatment of the sleep disorders, Dr. Rapoport says.
Spur creativity
Get a good night’s sleep before getting out the easel and paintbrushes or the pen and paper.
In addition to consolidating memories, or making them stronger, your brain appears to reorganize and restructure them, which may result in more creativity as well.
Researchers at Harvard University and Boston College found that people seem to strengthen the emotional components of a memory during sleep, which may help spur the creative process.
Be a winner
If you’re an athlete, there may be one simple way to improve your performance: sleep.
A Stanford University study found that college football players who tried to sleep at least 10 hours a night for seven to eight weeks improved their average sprint time and had less daytime fatigue and more stamina.
The results of this study reflect previous findings seen in tennis players and swimmers.
Improve your grades
Children between the ages of 10 and 16 who have sleep disordered breathing, which includes snoring, sleep apnea, and other types of interrupted breathing during sleep, are more likely to have problems with attention and learning, according to a 2010 study in the journal Sleep. This could lead to "significant functional impairment at school," the study authors wrote.
In another study, college students who didn’t get enough sleep had worse grades than those who did.
"If you’re trying to meet a deadline, you’re willing to sacrifice sleep," Dr. Rapoport says, "but it’s severe and reoccurring sleep deprivation that clearly impairs learning."
Sharpen attention
A lack of sleep can result in ADHD-like symptoms in kids, Dr. Rapoport says.
"Kids don’t react the same way to sleep deprivation as adults do," he adds. "Whereas adults get sleepy, kids tend to get hyperactive."
A 2009 study in the journal Pediatrics found that children ages seven and eight who got less than about eight hours of sleep a night were more likely to be hyperactive, inattentive, and impulsive.
"We diagnose and measure sleep by measuring electrical changes in the brain," Dr. Rapoport says. "So not surprisingly how we sleep affects the brain."
Have a healthy weight
If you are thinking about going on a diet, you might want to plan an earlier bedtime too.
Researchers at the University of Chicago found that dieters who were well rested lost more fat—56% of their weight loss—than those who were sleep deprived, who lost more muscle mass. (They shed similar amounts of total weight regardless of sleep.)
Dieters in the study also felt more hungry when they got less sleep.
"Sleep and metabolism are controlled by the same sectors of the brain," Dr. Rapoport says. "When you are sleepy, certain hormones go up in your blood, and those same hormones drive appetite."
Source: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20459221,00.html#have-a-healthy-weight-0
Is "Move less and eat more" your favorite dialogue? Then it’s time to change and this article helps you to move a bit faster. Do you know looking good is a true reflection of our inner health and well being Losing weight can reduce your risk of ...
Read MoreVacations are much more than just fun and getting in the sun. They now have a whole new aspect, becoming as important as the right food and exercise to keep in good health and be better at work.
Read MoreHeartfulness Meditation is a heart-based meditation technique practice that helps with stress, burnout and emotional wellness.
Read MoreNight shift work in BPOs and most IT Companies in India just cannot be avoided. But what can be avoided or definitely minimised are the effects of such work on the health of the night shift worker.
Read MoreSuccessfully fit people are successful not because of good luck, birth order, or family heritage but because they have adopted the right habits. They do things differently than the rest. To be a successful person, you must adopt the habits of succes
Read MoreWhether you are taking a morning walk or getting a work out at Gym, working up a sweat is the best way of-course to be fit. What is not known however is that it also gives you relief from mental stress
Read MoreAs an exercise there is no program that is as enduring as yoga. After being around for more than 5,000 years, the modern world is now finding out more and more about the huge and long-lasting benefits of Yoga.
Read MoreCaught up in our busy work schedules, many a times we forget or just refuse to take time off, a break away from work, family and friends, a time to simply slow down.
Read MoreCycling directly improves both our physical and mental health condition. It is one of the best forms of exercise, economical and good for all ages
Read MoreYou’ve probably heard (most likely from us!) that a healthy diet, regular exercise and a good handle on stress is the best prescription for a healthy heart. But we’ll bet you haven’t heard these tips about heart health.
Read MoreGivers are generous, unselfish people who are ready to help their colleagues out, lend them a hand to finish some important work or guide them out of a sticky situation.
Read MoreYour cubicle, your table and the immediate area around it is your private space in which you tend to spend the most time. It needs to have a happy vibe to it, to create a positive attitude to work.
Read MoreIndia has a higher percentage of stressed people compared to most other large developed and developing countries. Recent surveys show that over 85% of people here said they were suffering from stress.
Read MoreEating breakfast is the most essential meal of the day. Your metabolism slows down if you miss it. In case you can’t have your breakfast within an hour of waking up, have some fruits at least.
Read MoreIf any of them have been inactive, even in past decade or more, don't worry it's never too late to start exercising. Many of us think that exercise and diet are only for those who are suffering from diseases. It isn’t so.
Read MoreDecided to join a Gym. Great. Here are 4 very basic things you need to know before starting your program.
Read MoreWondered why music lifts your employees mood. Here are the real, scientific reasons Why
Read MoreEight hours at a table, sitting in front of your Computer, 5-6 days a week is otherwise a sure recipe to bad health. You will put on those extra calories and extra fat in all the wrong places, develop stomach ulcers, get eye, neck and back strain.
Read MoreA company with employees who are physically present at work but not functioning at their full potential because of an illness or other medical condition may have a "presenteeism" problem that can drastically affect a company's bottom line.
Read More