Sleep Well to Stay Fit

If you think that sleeping for just four hours everyday is enough, you are dead wrong. Many executives and workaholics in particular work through the night surviving on very little shut eye. However, they are only harming themselves and there is evidence to prove this. According to a recent study conducted by American sleep researcher and psychologist James Mass, sleep deprivation makes people stupid, reduces productivity, causes illness, accidents and could even reduce your lifespan.

If that isn't enough to grab your attention, read on for some startling new sleep facts.

The Importance of Sleep

Research has proven that your brain works the maximum while sleeping. It regulates immunity and protects against viral infection. This is how it happens: within the first hour of deep sleep, the growth hormone gets secreted which are essential for bodily growth, cognition, memory, performance and productivity. Mass says that those who sleep for less than 6 hours have disturbed sleep and thus lose out on all these benefits. In fact, he reiterates that cell growth is at its most productive in the seventh to eighth hour of sleep and those who sleep less than this again miss out on this important function.

What you lose

Sleep is of two types: REM or rapid eye movement sleep and delta or deep sleep. Both kinds of sleep have specific benefits for you. While you are in REM sleep your neurotransmitters that are responsible for stimulating and recognizing cells get replenished. This boosts learning and mental performance. REM sleep is maximum in the seventh and eighth hour of sleep and by missing that last one-hour of sleep you miss the biggest REM period and your brain suffers the loss.

Delta sleep, on the other hand, helps to combat middle age fat, loss of muscle tissue and lowered capacity to exercise that arise because of age. The growth hormone that is secreted during delta sleep helps you become smarter and thinner!

Lastly Mass hits the nail on the head by saying that a well-rested person takes about 15-20 minutes to fall asleep while those who fall asleep the minute their head touches the pillow are severely sleep deprived. If you fall in the latter category, it's time you shut your computer now and get some sleep.

If you still can't, here are some tips to help even the most harassed insomniac:

• Use the bedroom only for sleep
• Get up around the same time every day
• Go to bed only when you are sleepy
• Establish relaxing pre-sleep rituals such as a warm bath (the body has to be of a certain temperature to ensure a good sleep), or brushing your teeth
• Light reading of about 10 minutes can help fall asleep
• Keep a regular schedule of eating, taking medications, performing chores so that your body clock runs smoothly. In fact, eat your last meal at least 1 Ѕ hours before going to bed.
• Try to take a short nap in the afternoon
• Do not smoke or drink heavily before sleeping.

Here's wishing you a Good Night and Sleep Tight!