Most people do not get enough sleep. This may be due to insomnia or because we are too busy to protect our sleeping time. Lack of sleep is a serious problem and many of us are guilty of not prioritising sleep over work and social obligations.

• Lack of sleep is strongly linked with all mental health and physical health problems (including Diabetes, Dementia, Heart Disease, Cancer etc).
• You might start taking drugs (including alcohol) to help you sleep. Unfortunately sleeping pills and alcohol will only sedate you and not give your body and brain the true sleep where all the magical repair happens.
• Lack of sleep impairs ability to learn new things, memory and concentration.
• Lack of sleep can lead to errors in judgement and is also strongly linked with increased risk of road traffic accidents.

Dr. Matthew Walker talks about why we need sleep, what it does for our health, what happens if we miss out on our sleep and more

Sleep is pretty amazing

• Sleep “shampoos” your brain – while you sleep, there is a wash that runs through your brain which removes damaging and toxic molecules.
• Sleep improves your immune function.
• Sleep helps you have an emotional reset – most of us would have gone to bed with a big worry or stress on our minds but if we had a good night’s sleep, the problem seems to be a much smaller issue in the morning.
• Sleep helps balance all your hormones.
• Sleep improves your memory and ability to learn – not just growing children that need sleep!

 Dr Matthew Walker – if sleep does not serve an absolutely vital function, then it is the biggest mistake the evolutionary process has made. Sleep is the tide that raises all health boats.

Website: www.chriskresser.com – why we need sleep with Dr Matthew Walker