Shape Up America!! » Sleep

Decisiveness and sleep

admin — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:21:24 +0000

Sleep-deprived people may put themselves and others at risk when they need to make split-second decisions, U.S. researchers have found.

The study, which included 49 U.S. military cadets, looked at how sleep deprivation affected information-integration, a process that relies heavily on instantaneous, gut-feeling decisions.

The ability to make split-second decisions is crucial in a number of other high-pressure professions, including firefighters and police officers, the study authors noted.

Read the full story.

Not enough sleep…

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:55:05 +0000

Ever wondered what happens to a person who sleeps say 2-3 hours of sleep on average per day? What does lack of sleep do anyway? I’m not an expert on this topic but have experienced on average about 3 hrs daily for the past two weeks, I can safely say it doesn’t feel right. It feels unnatural, unhealthy and weird. I feel like a zombie with a brain but no mind. I can think and do routine things such as posting this article but nothing else useful. My mind wonders off, I find myself pausing and stare at things…whether it’s the computer screen or a wall.

Bottom line, my mind and body function has slowed down considerably. I don’t like standing up for too long either, forget about running or exercise. One thing I found interesting, sitting and watching TV hasn’t changed. I can keep my focus on a TV show without issues, perhaps it doesn’t take much thought to watch TV after all.

Interesting thing is I don’t feel sleepy anymore but just tired and worn out. I’m pretty sure lack of sleep affects normal bodily functions and specific organs. If my thought process and focus has diminished, any other function in body is probably affected as well.

This article is pretty useless to many as it describes my experiences with lack of sleep. I think it’s safe to say getting 2-3 hours of sleep per night is not enough if one wants to live a normal life.

Obvious Reasons Why You Should Get Enough Sleep!

admin — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 03:36:42 +0000

Here are some one-liners why we need to get enough sleep. Common sense reasons that no one pays attention to.

Obvious Reasons Why You Should Get Enough Sleep

Burn calories while doing nothing. While asleep, your body burns calories.
A lack of sleep can affect your ability to lose weight, instead you gain weight.
Recharge your brain and regenerate brain cells.
Get to your job on time!
Make your meetings on time!
Get to your school on time!
You’re more alert and better focused
No need for coffee
Get more things done faster, smoother and smarter
Easier to have a nice day
No more dark and puffy circles under eyes
Lower your blood pressure
See things with a fresh eye, clear head and happy eyeballs
Better mood, feel happy just because you’re well rested
Look freshened up and even smarter
Won’t feel drained, tired and wasted
Contribute more at work, class or any other environment
Won’t get the urge to catch ZZzzzs during meetings or after lunch
More alert and likely to try newer things
Improve memory and retain more information
Better and upbeat mood
Easier to think clearly
Increase your creativity
No need for daytime nap
Do assignments on time and better
No oversleeping and missing appointments, tests etc.
Have fun during exercise
More alert while driving
People will stop saying you look tired and F****d up
Less likely to get sick
Nicer to family, co-workers, team mates and people in general
Body heals quicker if you get hurt
Feel good and feel healthier
Ready to learn more
Comprehend things better
Pay attention better
Better grades, better job performance
Fewer dumb mistakes
Remember people’s names and events easier
No sleeping on the wheel
Less road rage
Minimize stress
Actually enjoy the weekend by not sleeping it away
Have time to eat breakfast
Build more patience
React quicker
Make better decisions
Your muscles get to rest
Easier to get up in the morning
No need for junk food for extra energy
Enjoy more hours during the day
This list is almost infinite! There are just too many reasons to keep on adding!

So Many Reasons to Get Enough Sleep!

admin — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 23:58:13 +0000

Many of us don’t seem to realize the benefit of a good night’s sleep including myself. If I’m lucky, I occasionally get up to 8 hours of sleep. It’s almost impossible at this day and age for many of us to sleep 8 hours straight, there are just too many frigging things going on.

http://www.geocities.com/happyfreakshow/ills.html

Many Americans average about 5-6 hours but it varies with the individual and their lifestyle. Some people require more sleep to function properly and others may not need as much to get through the day. Doctors say we should all get 8 hours of sleep but I’ve heard many doctors staying awake 30+ hours straight overlooking patients in the emergency room!

On average sleeping less than six hours a night can affect people’s reactions, coordination and judgment, posing serious risk to with regard to specific activities. It’s understandable that we live in a different day and age, a fast paced environment of running around in circles all day. Sadly, whether we like it or not, we need to change our lifestyle to accommodate sleep. Otherwise, we’ll slowly deteoriate into more of a retarded Americans than we are now.

The following is a large list of articles explaining the awesome benefits of sleep including tips and techniques you can implement to make it as efficient as possible.

Articles, Research, Tips and Techniques on Improving Your Sleep

Video Documentaries About Sleep

Note: All these links are for informational purposes only, I simply collected as many articles related to sleep for my own reference.