Archive for January, 2010

Dangers of Too Little Sleep

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

Increased risk of driving crashes
Increased appetite caused by sleep deprivation, leading to…
Weight gain (increase in body mass index), leading to…
Increased risk of diabetes and heart problems
Increased risk for psychiatric conditions including depression and substance abuse
Decreased job/school performance due to decreased ability to pay attention, react to signals or remember new information

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Source: National Sleep Foundation

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Brain Cells Take a Vacation During Sleep

Monday, January 18th, 2010

 A recent study in Science, reported that an electronic signal sent out during slow-wave — or deep — sleep indicates neurons are taking a break. Researchers believe the downtime allows a person to sleep through non-threatening interruptions, such as sounds or touches.
The researchers studied sleep patterns in eight patients who had had 24 microelectrodes implanted [...]

Sleep Myth: Sleep is a waste of time. I can get by on just a few hours

Monday, January 4th, 2010

Fact: Sleep is vital to our health and well-being, and is just as important as diet and exercise. Research shows that all mammals need sleep. Sleep regulates mood and is related to learning and memory functions.
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Not only will getting enough sleep help you learn a new skill, stay on task or be productive, it [...]