THE SCIENCE OF GOOD SLEEP
Like proper nutrition and exercise, sleep is essential to making you feel your best. Our bodies can't survive without food and water, and just the same, our bodies will suffer if not refueled with the right amounts of sleep. Adults need between seven and eight hours of sleep each night – but, individual needs may range from five to 10 hours. When you sleep, your body begins its job of consolidating the day's learning into memory and improving your ability to absorb and remember everyday skills. It is also the time when your body renews and rejuvenates itself – the blood supply to our muscles increases during sleep, allowing the body to recover from the physical stresses of the day. A good night's sleep also helps to re-energize your body and to prepare for the day ahead. If you miss out on quality sleep, your overall health can be impacted and your daily life can become less productive. Some experts claim that healthy sleep has been empirically proven to be the single most important determinant in predicting longevity, more influential than diet, exercise or heredity. Remember to think about both quantity and the quality of your sleep.