Without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year-olds. ~JoJo Jensen, Dirt Farmer Wisdom, 2002
Practically no one would dispute the need for seven to eight hours of sleep a night; the reality however, is that the majority of us getting far less sleep than our bodies require. What is happening is our biological needs are at odds with our schedules and all the added diversions such as watching television into the late hours of the night, surfing the internet and maintaining our social media contacts.
The restorative and regenerative processes that occur during the time we sleep are numerous and range from the relaxation of muscles, increased blood flow to muscles and tissues, the release of growth hormones and increased efficiency of the immune system. Sleep in America polls conducted over the last several years by the National Sleep Foundation reveal that 20% of Americans report that they get less than 6 hours of sleep on average, and the number of Americans that report that they get 8 hours of more has decreased. The Center for Disease control has taken notice of this national trend and has declared that 30% of U.S. workers are not getting nearly enough sleep and in fact sleep 6 or fewer hours a day. In addition, lack of sleep impacts the ability to learn and retain information. The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School has a website with information specific to sleep, learning and memory http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/benefits-of-sleep/learning-memory The problem is clearly not of one of not understanding the need for adequate rest, but to prioritize it in our lives.For more ideas on how to get to sleep, and to sleep well visit: http://tjhealth.com/how-to-sleep-well//
For more information on topics related to sleep, including its relation to aging, Alzheimer’s and Dementia visit the National Sleep Foundation http://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/sleep-topics
