Deep Sleep: The Great Rejuvenator

An article in the June 3 issue of New Scientist says if you ignore your body's natural clock by working and playing at any time of the day or night, you could set a time bomb for illness, injury and even death, according to sleep experts. The price of ignoring your natural sleep patterns can range from aches and pains to heart disease to chronic fatigue syndrome. A regular bedtime can be as important to your health as stopping smoking or cutting back on saturated fat. Your biological clock, nestled in the hypothalamus region of your brain, controls what time you eat and rest, the rhythmic surge of hormones, changes in body temperature, immune system activity and a host of other body functions.

Different people have different sleep patterns. Some are morning people while others are nocturnal creatures. Problems arise when you ignore your natural body rhythms to meet the demands of work or family, says the article.

People who restrict their sleep or are engaged in shift work where sleep becomes fragmented and disturbed are at risk for cardiovascular disease. This has been shown in nurses who have been engaged in shift work over a long period of time. They show an increased risk for heart attacks.

Sleep debt can also contribute to depression, and lost sleep creates dangers at work and on the roads. Sleep deprivation results in impairment in people's capabilities to operate in their usual, expected way, and they would not necessarily know that they are impaired.

Most people require roughly seven to eight hours of sleep a night to stay alert through the day. Some of the warning signs of sleep deprivation include fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, confusion and depression.

Even while getting 7-8 hours of sleep, starting with middle age, and worsening from there on, sleep tends to become less and less deep. Deep sleep, known as stage III and IV sleep, is where most of the healing, repair and regeneration takes place. It is also when the body secretes the most growth hormone. Therefore promoting deep sleep is a key to feeling young in body, mind and spirit.

So remember, one of the secrets of staying young is to sleep like a baby! And by using the right combination of lifestyle and products - you can come closer at least.

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