Sleep Like A Baby Naturally

"Oh sleep it is a gentle thing beloved from pole to pole."

Shakespeare

Sleep deprivation has measurable negative effects on performance and physical and mental health. If you haven't had a good night's sleep, you're likely to pay for it. The price may be high: Reduced energy, greater difficulty concentrating, diminished mood, and greater risk for accidents, including fall-asleep crashes. Work performance and relationships can suffer too. And pain may be intensified by the physical and mental consequences of lack of sleep.

There is no question that your health is affected by a lack of sleep. It is a chicken and egg syndrome. A number of conditions may influence or coexist with insomnia; which include psychiatric or medical disorders, as well as life events such as menopause and trauma.

Although the jury is still out as to the primary reason we need sleep the following things are scientifically proven:

• Lack of sleep affects the immune system, brain and body systems.

• Sleep gives the body a chance to repair muscles and other tissues, replace aging or dead cells, and secret chemicals important to the immune system.

• Sleep gives the brain a chance to organize and archive memories.

• Dreams are thought by some to be part of this process. When the brain is tired, it secretes a hormone, which alerts the organism that it has been burning up its energy reserves and needs to shut down for a while.

• Sleep lowers our energy consumption, so we need three meals a day rather that four or five. Since we can't do anything in the dark anyway, we might as well turn off and save the energy

With a good night's sleep, everything looks and feels better in the morning. Both the brain and the body are refreshed and ready for a new day. You’ll be more patient with your family, friends and co-workers!

See the next blog for sleep tips!

Your Holistic Health Care