“Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.” - Thomas Dekker (1572 - 1632)
The day is over, we are tired, but most of us stay up just a little longer. And where’s the harm? Why not stay up and finish a good book or watch just one more TV program?
It turns out sleep is more important than we once thought and there are good reasons you should make getting a solid night’s sleep a priority. Sleep helps with emotional stability, memory and concentration.
People who don’t sleep well tend to be overly emotional, easily frustrated, irritable and quick to tears. They have difficulty staying focussed, forming new memories and have a short attention span. Also, their hand-eye co-ordination degenerates. Performing simple tasks becomes slow and less accurate. A recent study found that the effect of going without sleep for one or two days was equivalent to being legally drunk.
Researchers believe this is because when we sleep, the neurons in our brains have a chance to shut down and repair themselves. If this doesn’t happen, our brain cells accumulate waste products and don’t function well, a bit like build-up on a spark plug. Sleep clears the waste and gives us a chance to start the day fresh.
Chronic sleep deprivation is when someone regularly gets less sleep than they need. A lot of us fall into this category. People with chronic sleep deprivation are more likely to have chronic illnesses, such as infections, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Chronic lack of sleep is even associated with obesity. Going without sleep for a few days can cause hallucinations. For many people getting more sleep isn’t as simple as it sounds. That’s why we’ve made “20 Tips for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep” available at www.clearwatercentre.com.au. If you think getting enough sleep is a problem for you, you may like to contact us for an appointment.
One good thing about sleep - it’s free!
