Sleep

Sleep is a very relevant part in many areas of life.  Sleep is an important factor in maintaining a healthy and happy life.  However, even though sleep is important it is something that can not be abused. Sleeping too much is associated with weight gain especially in older women.1 Obesity is a leading problem with many Americans and women always think that they are fat regardless of anything, so a solution to that would be to maintain a consistent and healthy sleeping pattern.  This is true for me; there have been testing days where I usually decide to stay up all night studying, I find that I gain a lot of weight since my body is not used to such a lack of sleep.   There are also many health benefits that come with sleeping a decent amount of time every night.  The less sleep that people get, the more likely they are to get sick.2  Therefore, the more sleep someone gets, the less likely they are of getting sick.  People such as insomniacs have a lot of trouble sleeping and usually do not get the sleep that they need to function properly throughout the day.  Fortunately, this is not a problem with remedies such as white noise, and sleep hygiene which could help solve these issues. 3  Other ways in which sleep can be promoted is by having a beverage containing caffeine during the day which will cause a person to sleep better at night.  I consume coffee every morning; At night, I notice that my body lets me know that it is time to rest.  Taking a drug containing melatonin can also help regulate sleep patterns. 4  It might be hard to grasp the concept of how important sleep really is.  Many car accidents occur because of people falling asleep behind a wheel and this results in the lost lives of many people. 5   I do not drive when I am tired because my cousin had been involved in a serious car accident involving her lack of sleep.  Sleep is a very important aspect in all areas of life and is to be taken seriously, NEFAW (no excuses find a way!). 

References:

1. Sleep duration, general and abdominal obesity, and weight change among the older adult population in Spain.  Esther Lopez-Garcia, Raquel Faubel, Luz Leon-Munoz, Maria C Zuluaga, Jose R Banegas, Fernando Rodriguez-Artalejo.  The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 87 No. 2, 310-316, Feb. 2008
2. Sleep Habits and Susceptibility to the Common Cold.  Sheldon Cohen, William J. Doyle, Cuneyt M. Alpher, Denise Janicki-Deverts, Rondald B. Turner.  Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 169 No. 1. Jan. 12, 2009
3. Sleep Patterns of College Students at a Public University. LeAnne M. Forquer, Adrian E. Camden, Krista M. Gabriau, Merle Johnson. Journal of American Health, Vol. 56, N0. 5, 2008
4. Caffeine or Melatonin effects on sleep and sleepiness after rapid eastward transmeridian travel. M. Beaumont, D. Batejat, C. Pierard, P. Van Beers, J.B. Denis, O. Coste, P. Doireau, F. Chauffard, J. French, D. Lafarde. Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol. 96:50-58, 2004
5. Tiredness revealed as the sleeper in car crashes.  September 5, 2007. Chee Chee Leung, Science Reporter.  The Age (Melbourne, Australia).