WHY SLEEP MATTERS

Sleep is a basic biological need. At the risk of putting you to sleep, here’s a short list of why sleep is so essential for our health:
Sleep plays a vital role in the function of your brain and bodily systems. A lack of sleep actually disrupts emotional and intellectual function.
Sleep helps regulate your metabolism and appetite. Lack of restful sleep may be associated with an increased risk of becoming overweight or obese since your body needs sleep to balance out your hunger and satiety hormones.
Sleep supports the optimal function of your immune, hormonal, and cardiovascular systems. Lack of sleep promotes inflammation and can increase your risk for heart issues and hormonal imbalances.
Sleep helps you live longer. A 2014 study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience concluded that regularly getting enough sleep is a significant factor in achieving longer life spans.
A whole slew of things can interfere with healthy sleep patterns, including medical causes like heart or kidney disease, heartburn, or musculoskeletal disorders; psychological causes like anxiety and depression; and poor sleep “hygiene” (meaning “habits that can get you a good night’s sleep”).
How real are the consequences? It’s estimated that “drowsy drivers” are 20% more likely to get into a car accident. Industrial accidents are also more likely when workers are sleepy. Sleep deprivation has also been blamed for some of the most famous accidents in modern history, including the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Chernobyl nuclear accident, and the Union Carbide Bhopal explosion.

Excerpt taken from Food Revolution