Week 2: Day 7 (Easter!)

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HAPPY EASTER!! I hope you are all enjoying an extra close relationship with your Savior this beautiful Easter Sunday. 

Here is our very informative and inspirational message about getting some REST from Sean Elcock. THANKS SO MUCH! Read up!

 

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Alright folks...it's time to rest!

 

For a lot of us (I'm raising my hand here), it can be a challenge to get up the energy to exercise. This week, we get to balance that energy with getting enough sleep. (Although I don't always exercise, I'm confident my wife would agree that I'm pretty good at getting enough sleep). Both mainstream academic research and alternative viewpoints emphasize the importance of sleep. Even modern-day revelation pipes in on this one:

 

Doctrine & Covenants 88:124 says “…retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.”  I'm  guessing you all are like me in this regard: the earlier you get to bed, the more you sleep.

 

There's no higher authority on humans than the Lord. Having said that, even well-respected humans themselves agree with Him. Harvard Medical School research suggests that sleep offers severalbenefits:

 

1. Learning and memory. Sleep helps the brain to commit new information to memory.
2. Metabolism and weight. Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.
3. Safety. A lack of sleep contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls or mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.
4. Mood. Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.
5. Cardiovascular health. Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
6. Disease. Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body's killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.

 -Harvard Health Publications: Harvard Medical School http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/importance_of_sleep_and_health.htm

 

Finally, I'll add two cents from one of my favorite alternative health experts, Dr. Joseph Mercola:

 

"Over time, lack of sleep can lead to:

• High blood sugar levels and an increased risk of diabetes -- Sleep-deprived subjects tend to eat more sweet and starchy foods rather than vegetables and dairy products. Researchers suspect these cravings stem from the fact that your brain is fueled by glucose (blood sugar); therefore, when lack of sleep occurs, your brain searches for carbohydrates.In short, sleep deprivation puts your body into a pre-diabetic state, and makes you feel hungry, even if you've already eaten.
• Weight gain -- When you are sleep deprived, your body decreases production of leptinghrelin, a hormone that triggers hunger.
• Accelerated aging
• Hypertension (high blood pressure) Depression  
• Increased risk of cancer by altering the balance of hormones in your body. (Tumors grow two to three times faster in laboratory animals with severe sleep dysfunctions)"
• (See more at http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/08/23/seven-hours--the-magic-number-for-sleep.aspx)

Dr. Mercola also emphasizes the importance of making your sleeping atmosphere as ideal as possible. A few tips include:
1. Getting to sleep as early as possible (see Doctrine & Covenants above)
2. Sleeping in as dark a room as possible
3. Keeping the room cool
(See more at http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/02/secrets-to-a-good-night-sleep.aspx)
That's it for today! Look for more during the week. Oh, one more thing:
You are getting very sleepy.....