by Dr. Donna L. Hamilton, MD, MS
Most people feel refreshed and energetic after a good night’s sleep. In spite of this, they readily sacrifice slumber in order to do things that leave them feeling stressed or run down. Whether it’s staying up late cleaning the house or getting up early so you can put in an extra hour at the office, many people don’t realize they’re sacrificing important wellness boosting sleep. Perhaps if they understood the health benefits sleep offers they’d make it a bigger priority.
Sleep is a health necessity, not a luxury. While scientists still haven’t sorted out the specific purpose of sleep most will agree it’s necessary for optimal health and well-being. Whether it’s to repair cells, renew what the body used while awake, conserve energy, or perhaps another reason, sleep plays a vital role in healthy living.
Keep reading to learn about some health and wellness perks most people don’t readily associate with sleeping. These important but less obvious sleep benefits just might encourage you to add “get enough sleep” to your personal wellness plan.
1) Helps with weight management: It’s been shown that dieters who get enough sleep burn more fat and lose more weight than those who don’t catch enough Z’s. It’s also been shown that people who don’t get enough sleep have brain and body changes that make them feel hungrier. Not only does leptin-the hormone that suppresses appetite-decrease, but ghrelin- the hormone that increases appetite- goes up. Furthermore, new research also shows that a part of the brain that registers hunger becomes more active after only one night of inadequate sleep. That’s a trifecta of risk factors for increased eating and weight gain coming from poor sleep!
2) Helps your immune system: Sleep helps your body produce infection fighting substances. Some of these substances-cytokines-not only help fight infection but also help regulate sleep. It’s been shown that people who don’t get enough sleep are more susceptible to becoming ill when exposed to a cold virus. It’s also been shown that sleep deprived people don’t respond as well to immunizations. Getting enough sleep not only helps your body fight infections after you’ve become sick, it also helps you fight them off so you can stay healthy in the first place.
3) Helps Improve Memory: If you’re not feeling mentally sharp lately maybe getting more sleep might help, especially if you’re trying to learn something new. Getting enough sleep improves focus and mental clarity, which makes it easier to learn things. It also makes it easier to recall information you’ve learned. The exact process isn’t known, but it’s thought that the connections between brain neurons get stronger while sleeping.
4) Helps Increase Safety: Sleepy people have more difficulty paying attention and responding efficiently. If this occurs in potentially dangerous situations like driving, cooking, or working with heavy machinery it can lead to serious injury. It’s been shown that driving while sleepy is as dangerous as driving while intoxicated. Preventing injury is as important to health and wellness as preventing illness. Get a good night’s sleep to help stay safe.
As you work to improve personal wellness by eating better, exercising, and managing stress, remember to also add sleep to your wellness toolkit. It can make your other wellness activities more successful.
Be well.
© 2012 Donna Hamilton, MD
Holistic wellness speaker Dr. Donna L. Hamilton, MD, MS passionately teaches people what being healthy really means. She enthusiastically teaches a comprehensive approach to health and wellness that addresses mental, emotional, social, spiritual and physical well-being. Dr. Hamilton-a former board certified pediatrician-now specializes in health optimization. She retired her white coat and stethoscope and now speaks nationally about her passion: holistically improving health and well-being. For more information visit http://www.ManifestExcellence.com
A wellness thought leader, she champions a comprehensive approach to health by addressing mental, emotional, social, spiritual & physical well-being with a simple and potent message. Her book Wellness Your Way offers a practical strategy to assist readers in creating a happier, healthier life. For more information or to book Dr. Hamilton for speaking engagements visit www.ManifestExcellence.com or www.DonnaHamiltonMD.com
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