The Power of Sleep

You might consider getting seven hours of sleep each night a
luxury, but your body probably needs at least this much to
function properly.


“Sleep is absolutely critical to our overall functionality,” said
Dr. Helene Emsellum,medical director for the
Center for Sleep & Wake Disorders.  “Sleep restores
us both physically as well as psychologically. We can take on the
next day with a clear head to get to the things we need to do.”


Emsellum says adults need an average of 7-9 hours of sleep a
night.


“I like to think of seven hours of sleep as the lower legal
limit…. You drop below six hours of sleep a night, we can put you
on a driving simulator and you’ll drive drunk.”


Young children need 10-11 hours of sleep, adolescents need
8.5-9.25 hours of sleep a night.


She says our brains need sleep in order to properly store the
information gathered each day.


“During the night we have to prioritize information, we need to
store the memories we want to keep.”


Sleeping your way to your ideal weight


A good sleep routine can also help a person maintain a proper
body weight. “Our weight control is based on adequate
sleep.”


“The reality is, if you overstay your welcome in wakefulness …
and you don’t get your minimum threshold of adequate sleep, a
whole system of hormones in your body ….direct the cells to store
more calories at any moment in time.”


If you are on a diet but not losing any pounds, you might want to
try getting some extra sleep.


Light is not your Friend 


Establishing a healthy sleep routine can be a challenge.


“We live in this crazy 24/7 lit society,” said Dr. Emsellum. “….
it really does take discipline (to get a good night’s sleep). We
don’t have ten hours of mandatory darkness our ancestors had 150
years ago at night.”


Because of this, Dr. Emsellum suggests creating a routine that
offers ‘wind down’ time that separates day from night. Staring at
a bright computer screen too late in the evening can make it
harder to get to sleep, so try to log off at least an hour before
going to bed. Sleeping in a dark room can also help you get a
good night sleep.


Learn more in my conversation with Dr. Helene Emsellum.


This segment was produced by Carolyn Branson.