Sleep is a necessary aspect of life and is essential to our health. It is recommended that we get 8 hours of sleep every night. The Harvard Women's Health Watch suggests six reasons to get enough sleep:
1. Learning and memory. Sleep helps the brain to commit new information to memory.
2. Metabolism and weight. Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.
3. Safety. A lack of sleep contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.
4. Mood. Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.
5. Cardiovascular health. Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
6. Disease. Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body's killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.
-Harvard Health Publications: Harvard Medical School http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/importance_of_sleep_and_health.htm
