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"If Your Thinking Is Fuzzy, Maybe Too Little Sleep Is To Blame" ~ Bobbi McKenna
To accompany "Gen Y" Author Jacquelyn Matoian's article on dealing with the value of sleep to our bodies, I decided to include some information on the value of sleeping to our thinking processes.
Many think of sleep as a "necessary" waste of time, but a waste of time nonetheless. In fact, the value of sleep to our mental and physical health and well-being cannot be overestimated.
You know that lack of sleep can show up in circles under your eyes, and make you cranky, but did you know that going without sleep for too long can diminish your brainpower?
Sleep is not just “rest” for our bodies. It is during sleep that the brain repairs and reorganizes itself. It is during what we call “REM” sleep that memories are laid down. (REM refers to the rapid eye movement that takes place during this stage of sleep.
Not getting enough REM sleep can lead to a breakdown in reasoning, logic, and decision-making. Recently, when I was discussing this with a colleague who travels extensively and suffers from jetlag, she told me that she avoids making big decisions at work when she has not had enough sleep.
Being exhausted can also result in unhealthy weight gain. You reach for whatever is at hand to get a quick sugar boost. People who are deprived of REM sleep for long periods of time are also vulnerable to depression.
So don’t shortchange yourself when it comes time to go to sleep. I do some of my best thinking when I’m asleep. When I wake up in the morning, I often have an answer that I was looking for the day before. Has this ever happened to you?
Copyright Bobbi McKenna 2009 All Rights Reserved
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