Getting Behind On Sleep Gets You Behind In Everything

8 hours does it for most people, but did you inherit the no sleep gene?

Now that everyone is in the full swing of school after Christmas break, homework has certainly taken its toll.  Along with any other responsibilities when the school day is done comes that chore that can't be avoided. Many times though, in an effort to delay homework, I personally put it off for far too long. When it finally comes time to crack the book, it'll be 11 p.m. or later before bed is even an option. This of course leads to a lack of sleep and eventually the worst feeling ever, tiredness.  Not only do dwindling sleep hours cut back on that rejuvenated feeling right when we wake up, but it affects many more parts of our lives that we often don't notice until it's too late. Most of us realize that our bodies are giant machines that need to recharge at the end of the day, but instead of plugging ourselves in, we simply sleep. This seems simple enough. Almost too simple actually. Sometimes half the battle of sleep is actually getting there. But the bottom line is this: if we want to be happy and healthy, sleep is our key. 

Not getting adequate amounts of rest each night can lead to short-term, annoying health problems, like colds. Consider this though, for every time that we don't get enough sleep, according to the October 2007 Reader's Digest, we shave off some time of the good old clock of life. Other health benefits of ample sleep each night are decreased risk of heart attack, diabetes, weight gain, and lowered blood pressure, for people who fear those two threatening numbers. Not only will you feel better physically, but you'll find yourself to be happier, less stressed, and more able to concentrate and solve problems.

Aside from feeling good in all aspects of the mind, we tend to look better and be more alert. When the body is deprived of anything, it seems to respond by slowing down the metabolism. This inconvenient little ploy cuts growth hormone production , thus giving us a more rustic look that we may be hoping for. So instead of staying up till all hours of the night, preaching the benefits of getting the right amount of sleep, I'm going to take this opportunity to catch a little shut eye. Keep an eye on the clock when you're on the computer at night, time flies when there's good conversation to be had with friends and the hours slip away faster than ever! 

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