The Importance of Sleep

I can't overstate the importance of getting enough sleep. Due to some circumstances earlier this week I was up for 2 whole days and nights and by dawn of the third morning, I was a zombie. I felt awful and weary deep down in my bones. I had experience with sleep deprivation from my early college years so I knew I had to sleep the third night or else I would start hallucinating and/or trigger a breakdown in my immune system. Having no desire to get sick or start mentally spazzing out, I went to bed at a decent hour. It took me hours to settle down and actually fall asleep, to my surprise, even though I have dealt with insomnia before and knew how hard it can be to get back to sleep. I was so tired I thought that I would fall asleep right away. I guess going off my sleep routine triggered my latent insomnia.

Why is getting enough sleep so important? Physically sleep is the time when your body 'cleans house'. Mentally sleep is the time your mind is able to process all the information taken in during the day. Sleep is extremely important to your overall health. Check this out:

Even a slight deprivation of night's sleep can negatively affect one's health. According to the studies conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, those who slept for six hours were later diagnosed with increase of certain chemicals in blood associated with heart diseases and diabetes.

The Importance of Sleep
Sleep: Understanding the Basics

Today's Goals:
30 minutes yoga
Walk 2 miles
120 oz. water
One serving meals, no seconds
Raw veggies for snacks, Raw fruit for dessert
No salt added to food
Bedtime when sleepy, Wakeup 5am
Today's weight - 142 pounds, goal 130 pounds

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