To Sleep or Not to Sleep…

SLEEP – oh you elusive elixir – how I’ve missed you these last 11 years (Hmmm, coincidentally since my oldest was born). Because of the nature of my profession many people assume that I am an early morning person. My response to that is a resounding NO! I definitely am not. Every morning as I rise before the sun I vehemently vow to return as soon as possible. But, alas, that is a luxury that rarely occurs. If, like me (and most North Americans), you do not get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep nightly, you may want to take note of some of the health concerns that can result from poor sleep habits.

Too Much Sleep (more than 9 hrs)

–       Anxiety

–       Low energy

–       Increased risk of diabetes

–       Obesity

–       Headaches

–       Lower back pain

–       Worsening depression

–       Increased risk of heart disease and Mortality (while research has shown a positive correlation between excessive sleep and these two risk factors, the reasons are still unknown)

Too Little Sleep (less than 7 hrs)

–       Decreased immune function (more prone to infection and colds)

–       Increased Cortisol release which stimulates appetite and causes the body to “hang    on” to fat

–       Decreased energy levels and metabolism resulting in weight gain

–       Decreased attention and reaction time

–       Increased blood pressure and risk for metabolic diseases (cardiovascular, Type II diabetes etc)

Odds are most of us are sleep deprived because of busy schedules. If you chronically oversleep or have chronic insomnia despite incorporating methods for improved sleep conditions, you may have a medical condition which should be addressed by your doctor.