Do you often stay up late, watching TV, studying or just chatting maybe? Be careful, lack of sleep not only might cause you to flunk in exame, but it also can make you eat too much and make you eat too much and worst of all…fall to grow!
Let’s face it. With 24 hout TV, live soccer games in the small hours of morning, cramming for an exam, mountains of school assignments, midnight shows in the cinemas, hanging out in cafes that open till past midnight, losts us are not sleeping enough. We all know that our mind and body need to rest after a day full of activities. But most people still underestimate the fact that sleeping is very crucial to health and productivity. Many people think they can do with only a few hours of sleep every night; they go to bed late at night and wake up early in the morning, sleeping for only 4-5 hours. But this kind of lifestyle may prove dangerous. Let’s see just how important sleeping is:
· Sleep-deprived people (those who don’t get enough sleep) do badly in tests that require speed and accuracy. Their reflex and ability to perform coordinated functions such as driving weaken. That’s why it is very dangerous to drive when you feel drowsy. When something happens, for example a blown tire, your tired brain may not go immediately into action to take the necessary steps.
· The Brain re-organizes its network during sleep, getting rid of short-term memory (like what you eat for lunch, what you see on the street, etc) and strengthening long-term memory. That’s why when you have an exam at school, it’s better to study then get enough sleep, rather than to stay up all night. Sleeping will help your brain the information that you’ve just acquired.
· When a person doesn’t get enough sleep, his body loses a hormone called leptin. Leptin gives a signal to the brain that the body is full after eating. With the level of leptin decreasing, the person will crave food high in carbohydrate, although he is already full.
· People who don’t sleep enough suffer a decrease in immune system. The number of their white blood cells drops. That’s why they can easily come down with an illness.
· The body releases growth hormone during periods of dep sleep, about 30-45 minutes after falling aslep. The amount of hormone released during sleep is biggest during puberty and begins to drop at the age of 33-40. Although a person’s height and body shape are determined by many factors (like nutrition, exercise and genetics), it is still a good idea to get plenty of sleep so you can really make the best of your growing period.
But what about those of us who sometimes have to turn in late? It’s OK to stay up late sometimes, but you’d better make up the sleep loss immediately, for example during the weekend. If you are anticipating a late night, try to take a nap for 20-30 minutes.
Having Difficulty sleeping?
Why don’t you try one of these tricks:
· Go to bed at the same time every night. An established sleeping pattern is very effective to ward off insomnia
· Don’t drink tea or coffee before badtime
· Don’t do vigorous work out before badtime
· Keep distractions in the bedroom to a minimum. Turn off all the lights. TV and radio. Listen to soft music only if you want to
· Take a hot shower
· Drink warm milk. (C’nS Volume 3 No.21)
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