The Powerful Benefits of Sleep

We know that sleep is an essential part of our 24 hour day, but many of us may not be getting enough to truly allow our bodies to rest and restore themselves. A survey conducted by the National Sleep Association reveals that more than 40 million Americans suffer from over 70 different sleep disorders. This trend is mostly contributed to unhealthy lifestyle conditions, disorders, and diseases.(1) Many of us who experience daily fatigue, memory problems, or an inability to handle stressful situations are simply in need of adequate high quality sleep! Weight gain and an increase of appetite, particularly for foods high in sugar or fat, are also very strongly linked to inadequate sleep. One particular study published in the International Journal of Obesity makes evident the correlation between an adequate amount of sleep and its resulting weight loss in over 7000 participants. Study after study concludes that sleep is essential for fat loss and energy production.(2) We absolutely must receive an adequate amount of high quality sleep each night in order for our bodies to benefit from its preventive, healing, and restorative powers!

Some of us believe we are sleeping well throughout the night but continue to awake feeling sluggish, lethargic or drained. In these particular cases it is possible that we are not obtaining the state of deep, high quality sleep as required by our bodies and are therefore recuperating poorly. Psychologist and sleep expert David F. Dinges, Ph.D, of the Division of Sleep and Chronobiology and Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, states that some signs of lack of high quality sleep are irritability, moodiness and decreased inhibition, apathy, slowed speech and flattened emotional responses, impaired memory and an inability to be novel or to multitask.(3)

As are many other health conditions, sleep disorders are exacerbated by age. Aging results in a decrease in our body’s ability to produce and sustain many hormones, including a crucial “sleep hormone” called melatonin. This hormone, which can drop to far below optimal levels, controls our natural rhythm of sleep and wakefulness and is a powerful antioxidant. We are reliant upon melatonin to feel a desire to sleep and to wake up refreshed in the morning. When the body’s level of this important hormone is too low, we lose our natural ability to fall asleep peacefully. We are no longer able to remain asleep during our body’s critical healing timeframe or to wake up feeling rejuvenated and energized. It is possible to maintain an adequate level of melatonin as we age through lifestyle choices and supplementation. Healthy diet and daily exercise can alleviate many symptoms, but many of us greatly benefit from taking a melatonin supplement, identical to the melatonin our bodies produce naturally. Much different than taking a prescription or over-the-counter sleep-aid, this bioidentical, or human-identical, supplement simply provides our bodies with what it once manufactured on its own!

Because of its natural restorative and healing capacities, sleep is an essential part of any age-management plan. Through melatonin supplementation and healthy living, we can restore our body’s natural ability to fall asleep and remain asleep peacefully throughout the night. And perhaps even more exciting are the impending results of this change! Armed with adequate sleep, we will no longer be so tempted to rely on artificial sources of energy (such as caffeine and other stimulants) and we can more easily shed those unwanted pounds and control our appetites for sugary, high fat foods. What a perfect way to start 2010!

(1) National Sleep Foundation. http://www.sleepfoundation.org/search/node/40%20million%20americans

(2) Cooper, R.K. (2005). Flip the switch. United States of America: Rodale, inc.

(3) American Psychological Association. Why sleep is important and what happens when you don’t get enough. http://www.apa.org/topics/sleep/why.aspx