Sleep – Underrated

Arguably one of the most important yet underrated pillar of Life! …SLEEP!

Sleep is getting a bad REP! We are the only species in history which have reduced our sleeping hours to accommodate our daily schedule. To be frank, lack of sleep is literally a slow death, as well as reducing the quality of our waking hours. We are under the illusion that if we are awake more we get more done, this couldn’t be further from the truth! We joke with each other, and compete, boasting that we only get 4..5..6 hours and we don’t need anymore. This is a dangerous attitude.

The number of people that can function efficiently on less than 6.5 hours as a statistical %, when rounded to the nearest whole number is.. 0%!

Sleep facts.
1 – Lack of sleep is a lack of time for our brain to rest from the information overload we are constantly inundated with, this overload and run down dopamine and serotonin levels – is directly correlated with an increase in negative thoughts and DEPRESSION.

2 – Just like our brain, our HEART needs a rest too. Our heart rate and blood pressure are elevated through the day as we go about our lives, like any muscle it needs a rest. During sleep our HR and BP lower significantly allowing the muscle and all of our cardiovascular system to rest. With out rest this constant strain will lead to Heart Disease and increased risk of CARDIAC arrest.

3 – During sleep, our body does lots of recovery work. Sleep regulates our blood sugar and also controls hormone release into the body such as Ghrelin, these hormones affect appetite and weight control. Poor sleep will deregulate these processes making it much easier for us to GAIN weight.

4 – Shorter sleep means shorter LIFE. People who sleep less have an increased risk of all causes of mortality!

5 – Cognitive ability (learning new things, memory and general motor functioning) are all greatly reduced in people who sleep less than 7 hours per night. Studies have estimated the decrease to be between 15% and 45%!