The Benefits Of Sleep

Did you know that the benefits of sleep are amazing, and affect just about every area of your daily life?

We all know how much we crave sleep after a long and tiring day, but most people have no idea just how much we actually NEED to sleep.

Of course, everyone knows that you feel better after a good night's sleep. Your thoughts are clearer, your reactions faster and your emotions are less fragile after a few hours of zzz's.

But there are lots of other, less obvious but just as important, benefits of sleep that you may not be aware of.

• It helps to repair your body
  Your body produces extra protein molecules while you're sleeping, and these help to mend your body at a cellular level. The damage from all kinds of things, such as stress, pollutants, infection, sun exposure and so on, is repaired while you're happily in the land of nod.


• Helps maintain a healthy heart
  Your heart and cardiovascular system is constantly under pressure, and one of the benefits of sleep is that it helps to reduce the levels of stress and inflammation in your body. High levels of 'inflammatory markers' are linked to heart attacks, heart disease and strokes. Sleep can also help keep blood pressure and cholesterol levels (which play a role in heart disease) lower.


• Reduces stress
  A good night's sleep can lower blood pressure and the elevated levels of stress hormones which are a natural result of today's fast paced lifestyle. Too much stress causes excess 'wear and tear' on your body, and increases the aging and degeneration of organs, cells and other body parts. By reducing high levels of stress, sleep helps to reverse these effects and encourages a state of relaxation.


• Improves your memory
  That 'foggy' feeling that you struggle with when deprived of sleep makes it difficult to concentrate. This often leads to not being able to 'commit to memory' facts, faces, lessons or even conversations! Sleeping well eliminates these difficulties because as you sleep, your brain is busy organizing and correlating memories. One of the great benefits of sleep is that it allows your brain to better process new experiences and knowledge, increasing your understanding and retention. So, next time you hear someone say "why don't you sleep on it", take their advice!


• Can help control your body weight
  Now, this one might surprise you! One of the lesser known benefits of sleep is that it helps regulate the hormones that affect and control your appetite. Studies have shown that when your body is deprived of sleep, the normal hormone balances are interrupted and your appetite increases. Unfortunately this increase in appetite doesn't lead to a craving for fruits and veggies, no, instead your body longs for food high in calories, fats and carbohydrates! So, if you're trying to lose those stubborn few pounds that just keep hanging around, make sure that getting enough sleep becomes a priority.

Pretty amazing thing this sleep isn't it? And it's something most of us take so much for granted.

If you usually sleep well, be grateful for this miracle of nature.

If you don't, and you're one of the millions of people worldwide who suffer from sleep disorders, I hope my site will help you get closer to that elusive reality of a good night's sleep.

A good place to start is at the Better Sleep Bookstore. Simply click on the banner below to find a great selection of the best books on sleep, sleeping disorders, childhood sleep problems, dreams and dreaming and much more (even some bedtime stories!). Enjoy....

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