Why is sleep so vital?
©2020 B. Snyder
Adequate sleep is as vital to your wellness as proper nutrition. let’s explore why.
I love snowboarding because it’s fun, and having fun is good for you. I went snowboarding over MLK weekend and couldn’t wipe the smile off my face the entire time. I often listen to podcasts on the return trip home to pass the time. Last Monday night, I listened to 10% Happier with Dan Harris as he interviewed Dr. Matthew Walker, a neuroscientist who researches sleep—because sleep is also good for you. Following are a few takeaways from the interview:
Sleep affects every aspect of your mental, emotional, and physical health (1).
During deep sleep, and only then, does your cerebral fluid flush out toxins out of your brain. One of those toxins is the protein Beta-Amyloid, which is believed to be strongly correlated with developing Alzheimer’s disease (1, 2, 3).
Even the mildest sleep deprivation compromises our immune system (1, 4).
Inadequate sleep engages the amygdala more quickly than the cerebral frontal cortex. This makes us more likely to respond emotionally rather than objectively to life’s challenges. In other words, we don’t think things through quite as well and are likely to overreact (1, 6).
Sleep affects your cardiovascular health. Heart attacks go up by 24% the day after Daylight Savings Time when everyone gets one less hour of sleep that night (1, 5).
Inadequate sleep affects memory consolidation (1, 7).
So how much sleep is enough sleep? And what can we do to get it? Stay tuned! My next blog post will address proper sleep hygiene and what steps you can take to get a better night’s sleep.
Stay healthy, friends!
xo, f
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