{"product_id":"the-importance-of-healthy-sleep","title":"The Importance of Healthy Sleep","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWant to know how to sleep better? You’re not alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe’re not sleeping enough, and it’s killing us.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a nation, we’re the most exhausted, overworked, under-rested bunch in history. It’s bad for our health, for our looks, and for our work performance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn fact,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e70 million\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eUS adults suffer from sleep loss\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eevery day.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eWe spend over $66 billion on sleep medication, devices, and clinical visits, and fractured sleep time costs over $411 billion every year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWorse, cheating sleep will not give you a long and healthy life. The overwhelming body of scientific sleep research shows sleep loss promotes cardiovascular disease, dementia, and death.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut we can’t just work less, “have less stress,” and meditate two hours a day. That would be wonderful and practical if we were rich like Gwyneth Paltrow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe good news? We can take steps to fix sleep problems, but there’s no one-size fits-all solution. The real cure for all those 3 am angst sessions is pinpointing the exact cause of your sleeplessness, then taking a targeted approach.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this article, we’ll look at the many causes of sleep loss that torpedo work performance, health, and productivity. We’ll see fixes from apps to medications to sleep tips used by Navy SEALs to fall asleep in seconds. In the process, we’ll hear from bona fide sleep experts who’ve helped millions get the deep, restful sleep patterns we crave and need.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"b-section b-section--fixed-width b-section--bg\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhy Is Sleep Important?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhy do we need to switch our brains off 8 hours every night? Sleep time lets us rest, restore, repair, and it may even keep our brains young and “plastic.” Understanding the importance of sleep is a key step in knowing how to sleep better.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrain plasticity.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eNFL great Tom Brady chalks up a lot of his success to “brain plasticity.” That’s the idea that a brain can get “stiff”—like an unused muscle. Brady uses\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ebrain games\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eto boost plasticity, but Harvard Medical school research shows knowing how to sleep better can\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eimprove focus, learning, mood, and decision-making ability.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRestoration.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eHuman and animal studies show sleep restores, rejuvenates, and repairs our minds and bodies. Animals deprived of sleep entirely\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003edie in a matter of weeks\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ewhen their immune systems collapse. Sleep aids tissue repair and muscle growth. It also\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eclears the brain of amyloid plaques\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003efound in Alzheimer’s patients.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEnergy conservation.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eDuring sleep time, our metabolisms drop. In the modern world, plentiful food supplies make that less of a survival matter and more a carbon footprint issue. In short, 8 billion people who never slept would consume the planet’s resources at a faster rate.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSafety.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eResearchers once thought of sleep as a safety issue. Sleeping in the dark may have kept us safe from nighttime predators like tigers. This theory has been discredited because it would be safer to stay still\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eand\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003econscious than to fall asleep.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Dangers of Losing Sleep\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhy is sleep important? When you don’t sleep, the world becomes a living nightmare. Things that seem petty in daylight turn monstrous. Worse, you know without sleep you’ll be less-well equipped to solve those problems when the sun comes up.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut you’re not alone.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e70 million Americans\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esuffer from sleeplessness every night. The costs of poor sleep patterns hit us at work, in our wallets, in our private lives, and in our health. Here are six big reasons to focus on how to sleep better.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1. $411 Billion Financial Cost\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow important is sleep to the economy? According to\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eRand corporation research, we lose 2–3% of global GDP to sleeplessness. That’s $411 billion in lost productivity in the US alone. But even small changes to our sleep habits could have a massive impact. If everyone slept at least six hours a night, we’d add an estimated $226.4 billion to the US economy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2. Lost Productivity\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhy is sleep important? People in the US lose 1.2 million work days per year from lack of sleep time. Supervisors spend\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e5.3 weeks a year\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003edealing with absences. A single absence on the team makes a supervisor 15.7% less productive. Co-workers get 30% less work done when one person is out sick.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3. Sleep Loss Wrecks Careers\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow important is sleep to your career? Regularly missing sleep slashes concentration, reaction time, memory, and decision-making power. It crushes your\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003einterpersonal skills\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eone of the biggest determinants of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ecareer success.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLack of sleep also causes accidents. Sleep loss was a\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003econtributing factor in disasters\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003elike the Three Mile Island nuclear meltdown, the Exxon Valdez Oil spill, and the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion. In fact, tired workers are similar to\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003edrunk\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eemployees for motor function, speech, memory, decision-making, and\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eproblem-solving. Fatigue causes an estimated\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e100,000 car crashes\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eper year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlus, as we move up the company ladder, we get both more responsibility, and less sleep. The average senior manager and CEO get\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e25% less sleep\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003etime than the populace at large.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4. It Wrecks Your Health\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWant to live a long and healthy life? Learn how to sleep better. People who sleep less than six hours a night have a 13% higher chance of dying.What should really keep you up at night though (pun intended) is the variety\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eways\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esleep loss wrecks your health. Here’s a rundown:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeart disease.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eHow important is sleep to your heart? Short sleepers put themselves at a higher risk of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003edying from cardiovascular disease. Poor sleep patterns could be as dangerous to your heart as smoking.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDiabetes.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eObesity and\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003etype 2 diabetes\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eare linked to short sleep duration. Possibly because short sleepers eat more high-carb foods.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAlzheimer’s disease and dementia.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eCheat sleep, and your brain may suffer. “The brain needs deep REM sleep to prevent Alzheimer's disease,” says sleep expert Walter Gaman, MD, of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eExecutive Medicine of Texas. Alzheimer’s disease is linked to the buildup of amyloid protein in the brain. Shockingly, even one night of missed sleep causes a\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e5% jump\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ein brain amyloid.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSex drive.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eNeed another reason to learn how to sleep better? Sleep deprivation causes sexual dysfunction as the brain\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esuppresses sex hormones. That’s worse in women than in men.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDepression.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eStudies show\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eover two-thirds of depression patients\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esuffer from a sleep disorder. Insomniacs are four times more likely to develop depression if their sleep problems aren’t addressed. Poor sleep is also linked to bipolar disorder, anxiety, and ADHD.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUnhealthy skin.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eBeauty sleep—it’s real! Lack of sleep time\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ecan lead to skin malnourishment, breakouts, dark circles, and eye bags. Want to look older fast? Just stop getting at least 7 hours of sleep a night.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInflammation.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eThe new watchword for all our health woes is “inflammation.” It’s the trigger for just about every health baddie in our lives—from heart disease to dementia to cancer and rheumatoid arthritis.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eSleep loss creates inflammatory cytokines\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ethat throw our bodies out of whack.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePoor immune system.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eSleep boosts your immune system. How? When we don’t sleep enough, we’re\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003emore likely to get sick. Also, if you’re sick, a good night’s rest will help you beat it faster.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe grain of salt.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eThe “good” news? Sleeping\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003etoo long\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ehas also been associated with nearly every health risk in this list. In short, there’s a sweet spot—your sleep schedule should be 7–9 hours every day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e5. Sleep Loss Wrecks Relationships\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow important is sleep to your love life?\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eNot getting enough sleep wrecks marriages\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand friendships. According to neurologist Chris Winter, author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Sleep Solution\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003esleepless people talk to their partners less and help out less with household chores.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhy is sleep important to relationships? Poor sleepers feel sadder and angrier—not conducive to romance. Fractured sleep patterns can even contribute to\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003edivorce. The upside? Married people know how to\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esleep better. That gives them a leg up on their single peers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e6. Sleep Sharpens Your Mind and Heart\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen you hear about people waking up from sleep with an answer to an unsolved problem or an idea for a new invention, you can thank REM sleep time. “During REM, the brain consolidates memories,” says sleep expert Dr.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eKasey Nichols. “That means it converts new experiences into long-term memories.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSleep also smooths out our emotions. “REM sleep allows your amygdala to process negative emotions, in particular, fear and stress,” says Nichols. Less REM sleep can cause negative memories to pile up, which can spark depression.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Computalia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32075601477763,"sku":"","price":250.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0282\/5879\/5651\/products\/D3.jpg?v=1581383886","url":"https:\/\/computalia.myshopify.com\/products\/the-importance-of-healthy-sleep","provider":"Computalia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}