Page 77 - SOUTHERN OREGON MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

SWEET DREAMS:

IS SLEEP OVERRATED?

by nisha jackson, ph.d., ms, np, hhp

ontrary to popular belief, your body doesn’t just turn
off when you lay down to go to sleep. Many body opera-
tions actually turn on when you sleep, such as your
Cbody’s ability to make important hormones that keep
you balanced. The human growth hormone secreted when we have
good sleep is necessary to provide growth, weight control, vital-
ity, healthy skin, hair and nails, energy, and longevity. Your body
operates with underlying rhythms when you sleep, called circadian
rhythms. These rhythms can be disrupted by changing or accepting
poor sleep patterns. Bad sleep habits, like getting too little sleep
or stimulating yourself with caffeine, watching TV late at night, or
too much stress can all throw off your body rhythms – making you
more vulnerable to poor sleep and upset hormone balance.

Sleep is the most restorative habit that we do every day. The not so
pretty side of sleep deprivation can be symptoms such as: irritabil-
ity, bouts of rage, fatigue, headaches, muscle and joint pain, weight
gain, dizziness, depression, excessive emotional instability, anxiety,
cravings, overeating, loss of sex drive, insomnia, and brain fog.

The thought that we do not need seven to nine hours of sleep regu-
larly is crazy. Research confirms a shortened life span with less
than eight hours of sleep and that hormone balance can lead to
enhanced sleep patterns for both men and women. Recent studies
have also confirmed that additional sleep is required when stress
levels are high. If you are ready to make a change, check out my
sleep tips below and enjoy more sleep tonight.

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