He's Fit
The Final Sprint Network News
TFS Media launches SummerOlympian.com
If You Don’t Snooze, You Lose: The Importance of Sleep
Posted November 29, 2007 at 01:30 PM by Lisa Cieplechowicz
Section: In The News, His Health, Mental Health, Physical Health, Lifestyle Health
Sleep - it’s one of our nation’s favorite pastimes. Sometimes nothing feels better than throwing a blanket over yourself, burying your face in your pillow, and settling down for a nice, long slumber. But as enjoyable as this nocturnal activity is, millions of Americans are seriously missing out on the fun.
Over 60 million individuals in our society suffer from some type of sleeping disorder, and more than half of these people are men. Unfortunately, lack of sleep can have a myriad of consequences on our minds and bodies.
Consequently, it’s probably not a bad idea to learn a little more about sleep and how it ultimately affects our well-being. Men’s Health recently addressed this topic of concern in depth and what follows is a brief highlight of their research.
America: The Sleepless Nation: As eluded to before, Americans seem to be having trouble getting a good nights rest. According to The Sleeping Disorders Center website, approximately 40 millions U.S. citizens suffer from chronic long term sleep disorders and another 20 million fall victim to the occasional sleeping disorder.
So what are we doing to replace those hours of sleep many of us lose each night? The 2003 American Time Use Survey indicates that instead of sleeping we spend extra time on work, commutes, and entertainment.
Consequences of Sleepless Nights: Let’s start of with the most obvious first. The less sleep you get, the more tired you’ll be, which seems a bit obvious. But there’s a bit more to it than that. For starters, when you sacrifice sleep you also sacrifice your energy levels, sociability, efficiency, and emotional states.
Dr. William Killgore from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research says that when we lose out on sleep we have less emotional flexibility and we reduce our ability to make effective decisions.
Further, researchers speculate that people who sleep less are more gain weight than those who enjoy a full night’s rest. EMedicine.com, says lack of sleep can even lead to increased risks of depression, anxiety, and motor vehicle crashes.
Furthermore, studies have also linked loss of sleep to inflammation, which essentially means that your heart is in danger. Clearly, losing out on sleep is not something the average guy can afford to have happen on a regular basis.
Tips and Treatments: Men’s Health advocates the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques to effectively combat bouts of insomnia and much research supports this treatment option.
For instance, by avoiding caffeine, alcohol and intense excitement before bed, you greatly increase your chances of having a decent night’s sleep. Even something as simple as waiting until you’re actually tired to go to bed turns out to be a solid strategy for regaining your ability to sleep well.
The National Sleep Foundation further recommends cutting down on naps - you may feel like you’re making up for lost sleep this way, but you’re actually reducing your chances for a full night’s sleep later on.
Men’s Health also mentions the idea that we need to stop worrying about sleep. The more we worry about our ability to fall asleep, the more likely it is that we’ll be spending the night staring at the cracks in the ceiling. Of course, when all else fails, consult your physician to determine the best steps to take to regain healthy sleeping patterns.
It comes down to this - sleep is a luxury we can’t afford to lose. Your health and happiness are at stake, so it’s best to deal with cases of insomnia when they first start. By learning the proper techniques and taking on the right mindset, you’ll be dreaming the night away before you know it.
To read more about one Men’s Health author’s struggle with sleepless nights, click here: [Men’s Health]
Research sources and for more information: [National Sleep Foundation], [eMedicine.com], [Sleep Disorders Center]; [picture1]; [picture2]
Tags: cognitive behavioral therapy, dr. william killgore, emotional stability, emotions, energy, health, insomnia, men, natinoal sleep foundation, sleep, sleeping disorder, the sleeping disorders center, walter reed army of research
Like what you see? Subscribe to our feed!
7 Responses to “If You Don’t Snooze, You Lose: The Importance of Sleep” (Leave a reply)
Browser
Recent Comments
Page 2 Articles
- Protect From the Sun
- Quote of the Day 7/8/08
“Happiness does not consist in pastimes and amusements but in virtuous activities.” - Aristotle
- 11 Foods We Should Eat, But Don’t
- Quote of the Day 7/7/08
“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” - Theodore Roosevelt
- How to Stretch Properly
- Quote of the Day 7/5/08
- How Fit is America?
- Happy Fourth of July!
- Quote of the Day 7/4/08
- Scared to Cook Meat? We Are Too!
The Final Sprint
On July 25, 2008
anal said:
Look at this anal