Thursday 19 August 2010

Why I love my zzzz

Oh how I love to sleep! Consequently my bed is one of my favourite places
in the flat which is why I took great care in finding my perfect mattress
and bedding. With a busy city life it really can be hard to get enough sleep
but it is so important for health.

Lack of sleep is very stressful for the body as this is the body's time to
rest and repair. If the body detects that sleep is scarce it will perceive
this as a time of stress i.e. that you are under threat which is why you
cannot have sufficient sleep. This will lead to increased production of
stress hormones as well as suppressed rest and repair in the body.
Insufficient sleep can also weaken the immune system, reduce concentration
and not inhibit detoxification which occurs mainly at night.

Lack of sleep is also bad for your waistline - researchers have found that
lack of sleep increases the production of the hormone ghrelin which
encourages appetite. At the same time lack of sleep depresses the
production of the hormone leptin which suppresses appetite, so not getting
enough sleep will make you feel hungrier and need to eat more. I certainly
find that if I haven't slept well I have a ferocious appetite, particularly
for carbs.

Most people need at least 7 (preferably 8) hours sleep per night, with a
higher requirement if they are exercising regularly. It is also important to
establish a regular sleeping pattern, preferably aiming to be asleep at or
by 10pm (not so easy with a city life!) as this is the time when your
circadian rhythm is preparing for sleep. If you are still awake around 11pm
your body will think you don't want to sleep and will start to wake the body
up again (and then prepare for sleep again 2 -3 hours later. When you do
get to sleep later than 10pm you are more likely to have a restless nights
sleep or wake early. A regular sleeping pattern is also less stressful on
the body.

Obviously being in bed by 10pm on the weekend is a bit of a social life
killer, however establishing an early weeknight bedtime will still be very
beneficial. As are weekend lie ins if you have had a late night, although
that's not always easy if you're in the habit of waking early in the week
for work. I'll certainly be trying to have one tomorrow morning! Enjoy your
weekend.
  

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