Good Sleep for Good Health

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Good Sleep for Good Health

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Good sleep can make you healthier, both mentally and physically.

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566 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line

Distribution Date and Time: 2009-06-04 11:36:00

Written By: Kielty

Copyright: 2009

Contact Email: mailto:vck@...

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Good Sleep for Good Health

Copyright © 2009 Kielty

North Carolina Insurance

http://www.ncinsuranceplan.com

Most of us have busy, hectic lives. There is always a new task to

be added to the schedule until eventually something has to give

and for many of us that something is our sleep. We look at sleep

time as cutting into our productivity and think " it's more

important to get this done than it is to sleep " . But that

attitude will ultimately catch up to us. Good sleep is necessary

for good mental and physical health and if we neglect it, we will

pay the price.

The Stages Of Sleep

There are 5 different stages of sleep and we need to move through

all of them each night if we want to feel our best. We start our

sleep in stage 1 and progress to stage 5 and then go back and

forth between 2 and 5 repeatedly during the night. Stages 4 and 5

are the deepest levels of sleep called REM or Rapid Eye Movement

sleep. It is during this stage that we dream the most and

important processes in the body take place.

Chronic lack of sleep can have adverse effects on our mental and

physical health in several ways. It can cause us to gain weight,

make us prone to insulin resistance and it can speed up the aging

process.

Weight Gain

Important activities take place in the body during sleep which

contribute to health and healing. During REM sleep injured

tissues are repaired by the production of growth hormones. These

hormones stimulate the production of protein in the muscle as

well as the breakdown of fat. This helps to control the

allocation of fat to muscle in the body. Constantly missing out

on the deepest levels of sleep can lower the amount of growth

hormones thereby causing the accumulation of more fat. Lack of

sleep can also lead to a lower level of leptin which is a blood

protein that helps to regulate appetite.

Insulin Resistance

Chronic lack of sleep can also affect how the body uses

carbohydrates and glucose. In individuals who are chronically low

on sleep, blood sugar levels rise to a higher level and return to

the normal state more slowly. Their bodies also secrete a smaller

amount of insulin. Studies have shown that individuals who

experience a chronic sleep deficit will usually develop insulin

resistance.

Sleep And Aging

Not getting enough sleep can also contribute to premature aging.

Lack of sleep causes the brain to produce less than the normal

amount of hormones, which is a condition found the in the

elderly. Getting enough sleep can help to turn back the clock.

Quantity Vs. Quality

When it comes to sleep quality is as important as quantity. You

need to have sufficient time in each of the stages of sleep, to

feel your best the next day. Not getting enough sleep can lead to

irritability, lack of clear thinking and lethargy the next day.

It can also lead to a weakening of the immune system and make you

more susceptible to sickness.

Different people require different amounts of sleep. Usually

adults need around eight hours per night while children require

approximately 10 hours and infants around 16 hours per night.

If you skimp on sleep you seriously risk both your physical and

mental health. If something must be cut back in your schedule,

make sure it's not sleep. You will look and feel better for it!

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Kielty lives in North Carolina and writes articles

on health insurance. If you are looking for rate quotes

on health insurance in North Carolina, visit BCBSNC, also

known as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina

http://www.ncinsuranceplan.com