According to the Institute of Medicine, we are a sleep starved nation.
- 63% of American Adults do not get 8 hours of sleep at night.
- 70 million suffer from insomnia.
- 7 out of 10 suffer from frequent sleeping problems.
Sleep debt can deteriorate our health causing a host of problems, such as:
- increased risk of hypertension
- diabetes
- obesity
- depression
- heart attack
- stroke
It is always wise to discuss your sleep with your physician as there may be complications which only he/she can address.
Sleep and Your Weight
A Stanford University study found a correlation between the hours of sleep which people got and their weight.
- Shorter sleep duration boosts the level of ghrelin, a hormone that makes us feel hungry.
- Shorter sleep duration suppresses another hormone called leptin, which makes us feel full.
Either way, it is not a win-win. Shorter sleep duration can add weight.
Poor Sleep Makes You Cranky!
Another side effect of poor sleep: Anxiety levels rise and we can lose our sense of self and well-being. (Translated: it makes you cranky or fussy!)
I hope you’ll find this article about the risks to our body when we don’t get good sleep routinely interesting and helpful: The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Your Body.
Remember …
- 45 minutes of Yoga Nidra is like 3 hours of sleep for your body!
- If you have a specific health concern, I would be happy to discuss this with you one-on-one.