Why You Need Sleep and How To Get More of It

In addition to a healthy diet and regular exercise, getting enough restful sleep is the most important thing you can do for your health. Proper sleep is one of the keys to looking and feeling your best, yet it’s estimated that up to 70 percent of Americans are chronically sleep deprived. Unfortunately this is consistent with what I see in my NYC practice.

Chronic sleep problems interfere with your body’s natural rhythms and rob it of the time it needs to restore itself. The incidence of many diseases including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks and depression increases with a lack of sleep. Recent research has even shown a connection between poor sleep and weight gain. We simply weren’t built to just go, go, go. We were built to go, go, go and then rest, rest, rest. We evolved according to the natural rhythms of darkness and light; our bodily functions reflect this and undergo similar fluctuations. They perform best when we live in accordance, as much as possible, with these cycles.

It is during sleep that your body’s innate healing capacities kick into full gear. Your immune system gets revitalized. Hormones and metabolism are balanced, and general maintenance, fine-tuning and repair of all bodily systems is performed. A good night’s sleep, not just once in a while, but on an ongoing basis, is absolutely critical for your good health.

Insomnia is not a disease, but is usually a symptom of a deeper underlying bodily imbalance which can be corrected. For real success, the causes of the imbalance must be removed.

The most common underlying causes of chronic sleep issues are:

Chronic stress or an over-stimulated nervous system.
Hormonal imbalances (adrenal, thyroid and reproductive hormones in particular.)
Poor diet (too much sugar, processed and refined foods and the common foods that cause sensitivities: gluten and dairy.)
Stimulants or substances that can affect sleep (alcohol, caffeine, medications, recreational drugs, herbs, and even some vitamins.)
Gastro-intestinal dysfunction
Chronic pain
Sleep Apnea

Although each of us is unique and, ideally, treatment should be individualized, my experience shows that the most effective long-term strategy for overcoming the most common type of insomnia in our fast-paced world is to better attune our bodies to the natural rhythm of darkness and light. This ultimately brings it back in sync with its natural rhythm. This can be done, for the most part, by changing bad habits and behaviors. In my practice, by doing this, I have seen a normalization in hormonal imbalances and a calming of the over-active nervous system, the two most common causes of sleep disorders.

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Read more: General Health, Health, insomnia, sleep

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

tiffany y.

11:24PM PDT on Apr 2, 2010

thanks

send a green star

Symond H.

3:09AM PDT on Apr 2, 2010

My wife don’t get enough sleep because she have a six month old baby who wakes up to nurse several times a night, and a toddler who gets up early, and a six year old who doesn’t stop talking from the moment he gets up. How about some useful tips for us moms?

alarm clocks

Nellie K A.

1:27PM PDT on Mar 30, 2010

great. The Western World is sleep-deprived. I'm born in Western Europe I wasn't too sleep deprived. I only get sleep deprived when I go to celebrations and we stay out til late. Hate to sleep late when don't want to. I need at least 9 hours of sleep. Not an early bird anymore as when I was younger and had to wake up early to go to school.

Nita O.

1:27PM PDT on Mar 20, 2010

Thanks for the info.

Aleksandra S.

2:52PM PDT on Mar 15, 2010

Good article... thank you...

Mervi R.

12:48PM PDT on Mar 15, 2010

Very useful tips, thank you!

Michal C.

7:03AM PDT on Mar 15, 2010

good to know, thanks;)

gerlinde p.

6:52AM PDT on Mar 15, 2010

thanks for the tips.

Lilli P.

1:59AM PDT on Mar 15, 2010

Great tips but not much good for shift workers

Judeth B.

12:56AM PDT on Mar 15, 2010

I sleep better in a cool room and I have been trying the dark one(it seems to help--but my husband misses being able to see the clock). If my feet are cold, I will not be able to sleep--BUT if they are hot, I will wake up--SO they have to be just warm.