Enough Sleep ?

Are you sleepy during the day?

Are you likely to doze off watching TV or during a movie?

These are common signs that you are not getting enough sleep and/or quality of sleep. But some of the ways your body communicates fatigue and a need for sleep are not as obvious:

• Are you having difficulty losing weight?

• Do you frequently get colds, the flu, or other infections during the year?

• Are your hormones, cholesterol, or blood pressure out of balance?

• Do you have any type of chronic pain?

These are signs that your quantity and/or quality of sleep may be seriously deficient.

During sleep you produce a hormone called growth hormone (HgH) to repair all of the tissue that has been worn and damaged during the day. Growth hormone is also responsible for replacing old, dead, and diseased cells in your body.

You need deep, restive sleep every night in order for your body to accomplish this important repair work. Most HgH is released between midnight and 3 a.m. Without proper sleep the number of cells that die will exceed the number your body replaces and you can begin to age prematurely.

By not getting enough sleep you can also experience greater levels of inflammation. Inflammation is associated with heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and many other diseases. Some conditions, such as Fibromyalgia and Rheumatoid Arthritis, are triggered by chronic poor-quality sleep.

Sleep and your immune system
Sleep is also the time your immune system balances itself. For instance, you have a number of immune system “guides” or “triggers” called interleukins (IL). One of the most important protectors in your immune system is Interleukin 2. When you are infected with a virus, IL 2 orchestrates a symphony of immune cells that neutralize and eliminate the virus without you ever knowing about it.

However, if you do not get enough sleep, IL 2 will be deficient and Interleukins 1 and 6 will act as a backup support against infection. This may sound like a good “fail-safe” system, but there is a downside. Interleukins 1 and 6 create fever, body aches, mucous in the nose and lungs, diarrhea, and many other symptoms associated with acute infection. It is much better for you to get the sleep you need to produce IL 2 and avoid these symptoms when you are exposed to colds and the flu.

You need between 54 and 63 hours of sleep per week for optimum immune system health.

Sleep is a very energy intensive process. It takes a lot of energy to accomplish all of the work you have to do as you sleep. For the best sleep, you need nutrients and nurturing, sunlight, exercise, and a comfortable bed.

Take Control of Your Health Try these nutrients to help you sleep better: Minerals – Magnesium and Potassium Vitamins – Pantothenic acid and Biotin Herbs – Passiflora and Zizyphus Peptides and proteins – 5-hydroxy typtophan and GABA (gamma amino butyric acid) Go Here to learn more about improving your health.