Bed Early Tonight
It’s Monday, best night for it. Trash the To-Do-List that you’ve created and just do it, go to bed at 8:30pm. Sounds ridiculous? Means you probably need it.
Society today is becoming increasingly great at rewarding the wrong things. People now wear a look-at-me-I’m-so-cool-I-can-function-on-4hours-sleep badge like it’s a new tribal tattoo and get all excited about it. Bragging about how little you can sleep is similar to bragging about the fat you gained on your all-inclusive holiday: it’s the best way to create terrible habits.
Here is what truly happens to those who severely lack quality sleep
The less you sleep, the greater the likelihood of increased body fat.
(Shahrad Taheri, Ling Lin, Diane Austin, Terry Young, Emmanuel Migno University of Wisconsin Medical School, 2004)
Researchers have been able to prove this time and time again. The literature in this field offers a wide breath of reasons why less sleep leads to greater body fat, but simply put, a tired body will crave sources of quick energy, and quick energy normally refers to carbohydrates. The relationship between constant carbs and increased body fat is now well documented.
Sleep deprivation is related to depression.
( Rosen, Ilene M. MD; Gimotty, Phyllis A. PhD; Shea, Judy A. PhD; Bellini, Lisa M. MD, University of Pennsylvania, 2003)
The above study followed medicine residents throughout the first year of their residency, which was one of great sleep deprivation. The data was clear: the prevalence of moderate depression increased from 4.3% to 29.8% (p = .0002). Only 4.3% reported a high level of burnout initially compared with 55.3% at year end (p < .0001). Scores that were originally more favourable than general population norms (p < .001) approached norms at the end of the year for empathic concern (p = .15).
You can't run as fast without quality sleep time
(Oliver, S.J., Costa, R.J.S., Laing, S.J. et al. Europeean Journal of Applied Physiology (2009))
When we refer to sleep deprivation, most of us may believe this occurs over long periods of time. This is not always the case, the above study took measurements after only one night of sleep deprivation. While athletes' perception of effort was the same, their performance were not. The same participants that ran under ideal sleep conditions, could simply not cover the same distance under sleep deprivation. Big race coming up soon? hit the sheets early.
Positive effects of Increased Sleep
Sleep leads to long-lasting changes in the representation of memories.
(James L. McGaugh, University of California, Irvine, CA, 2007)
In our research for this article, this was plausibly the relationship that arose the most. While we found things we could not have predicted (sleep also increased recollection of background information related to main points studied), most summaries came to the same conclusion: you are simply more likely to retain important information if you sleep long nights. What do you have on your bedtime reading shelf?
Strong positive changes in mood quality and empathy with greater sleep.
( Rosen, Ilene M. MD; Gimotty, Phyllis A. PhD; Shea, Judy A. PhD; Bellini, Lisa M. MD, University of Pennsylvania, 2003)
More sleep, more patience. More ability to show your love to those close to you. Don't risk hurting your relationships when it's too easy to do something about it: just go to bed early tonight?
Sleep is Free
IMS Health predicts that by 2020, money spent on prescribed medication in the U.S. alone will reach $400 billion. All the while, people are tiring themselves to the bone trying to make enough to pay for things they don't need. An awareness shift on health is long overdue. Sleep is free, use it wisely.
Tune in with Nature
In going camping and spending more time in nature, we found that sleep quality is naturally increased when in tune with the rythms of mother nature. An earlier bed time and earlier wake time will tilt you closer to the sun's cycle and inherently brighten your mood.