Benjamin Franklin once said that early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. Although most of us have heard this quote many times before, rarely do we stop to contemplate the implications of his words. Could high-quality sleep, or the lack there of, really play a key role in physical, financial, and mental wellness?
The sleep process is much more than a period of down time for your body. During sleep, your body is carrying out vital tasks that maintain health and promote optimal functioning. Pathways are being formed that support learning, memory, and creative problem solving. Hormones regulating growth, certain immune functions, appetite, fertility, and energy use are being secreted. Sleep also prompts a dip in blood pressure and slows the heart rate which seems to have a protective effect on cardiovascular health.
Without 7 - 8 hours of high-quality sleep each night, you're likely to suffer a myriad of related problems. Sleep deprivation is associated with attention deficits, slowed response times, and decreased performance. Individuals failing to regularly cycle through both non-REM and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep are at higher risk for mood disturbances, obesity, diabetes, and infections. Failing to induce the normal period of reduced blood pressure and decrease in heart rate brought on by healthful sleep increases the incidence of stroke, angina, irregular heartbeat, congestive heart failure, and heart attack.
An effective sleep pattern contributes to wellness by supporting physical and mental health and delivering the elements necessary for being healthy, wealthy, and wise. By maintaining optimal levels of intellectual functioning and energy distribution, higher degrees of productivity and exemplary performance will emerge. Protective mechanisms induced by sleep will ward off physical ailments and create an environment where the individual can thrive. High-quality sleep promotes optimal living all the way to the cellular level.
Michele Sutton, MA, CHES is an independent wellness coach and Certified Health Education Specialist. She is the owner of Well Refined, LLC. Her training includes a bachelor's degree in psychology, as well as a master's degree in health behavior and health education. She earned a graduate certificate in community health education and completed extensive coursework in life and wellness coaching.
