Quality sleep is absolutely essential to good health. You could be leading a stress free life, working out to keep fit and have the best diet, but if you are not getting enough sleep - you may not be as healthy as you think. 

 

So many vital functions take place in the body during sleep. Sleep gives the body cells an opportunity to repair and to get rid of waste products. Sleep is necessary for the production of vital and necessary hormones. These key hormones are at peak production between 10:00pm and 2:00am and those that are sound asleep at this time are doing themselves a great favor.

 

Lack of sleep may hinder the brain from producing new cells. When your body becomes stressed, due to lack of sleep, it produces hormones that can cause your heart rate and blood pressure to increase as well as your waist line. 

 

1. Strive to get a minimum of 7 hours/night, but as we established above be sure you are sleeping between 10:00pm and 2:00am otherwise you don’t get the benefits. Any sleep you get before midnight is more beneficial than at any other time. Translation: The earlier you go to bed, you will have more restful and restorative sleep - even if you don’t sleep a full 7 hrs. How many times have you gone to bed late, slept in late, and still felt exhausted all day - even though you got 8 or more hours of sleep!