Sleep Needed for Stress Relief?
Yes!
How much sleep is needed for stress relief? How much sleep is enough sleep? Somewhere between a lot and tons. More than you get now. If you don't want to be stressed, than you MUST SLEEP!!
Somewhere along the line (I blame Tony Robbins) we allowed sleep to become uncool. We brag about "being on four hours" and mock people who admit (sheepishly) that they actually pull a full eight hours regularly in the bedroom. If we are awakened by a caller at 1am in the morning and asked, incredulously, "Oh....were you sleeping?" we quickly assure the caller that we were wide awake and ready to talk.
I ask again...when did sleep become uncool?
I'm reading more and more about how sleep-deprived we are as a nation. And I'll tell ya, this Starbuck's thing is just a symptom. If you are having so much damn fun being AWAKE that you are willing to do it sleep-deprived, than knock yourself out (and you likely will, by walking into a post). But my experience is that you are MISERABLE and not getting enough sleep is where it all starts.
One study actually shows a 1:1 relationship with sleep-deprivation and obesity. More automobile wrecks are attributed to fatigue than any other source. And the last time you snapped at your boss? Let me guess...you were exhausted, right?
I'm not gonna argue with you. If you want quality awake time, then you need to sleep. If you want to be less stressed, more creative and better able to handle jerks, than you need to rest and REM and all the other stuff.
So how much DO you need? The litmus test here, is to go to bed when you do not have to wake up with an alarm the next morning. Note the time you shut off the lights and then note the time you NATURALLY awaken. This is how much you need. And, yes, it may be MORE than eight hours.
From an article called "Grown Up Problems Start at Bedtime":
"Children who have persistent sleep problems, such as difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, or not getting enough night-time shut-eye, are more likely in later years to suffer from depression and anxiety disorders and to abuse alcohol and drugs than kids without sleep problems."
Bottom line? If you love yourself (and your kid) go to bed already.
Ready for more stuff on physical stress?
Exercise/Moving
Eating
Move from "Sleep Needed for Stress Relief" and Back to "Physical Stress"
Have A Comment About This Topic?
Share it!
|
