“’It seems as if we are now living in a worldwide test of the negative consequences of sleep deprivation,’ says Robert Stickgold, director of the Center for Sleep and Cognition at Harvard Medical School” (Finkel 47).

Sleep does more than you may think. Besides being important for mental and physical health, sleep is also key in helping your brain digest the day’s events. It isn’t just a habit we have either, our cells have an internal clock used to keep us in sync with the rising and setting of the sun. As you can imagine, this is key to maintaining a healthy sleep cycle. Breaking this cycle raises the risk for illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, and dementia.

Less than a century ago, the average amount of sleep American’s received was nine hours a night. Now, on average, people sleep less than seven hours a night. This change can be attributed to electrical lights, which was followed by TVs, computers, smart phones, and tablets. If your looking for a more restful night and a way to combat the negative effects technology has had, check out past blog posts and future ones as we delve into the world of sleep.

As always, Quit Counting Sheep…Sleep with a Wolf!

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Sources:

Finkel, Michael. “Want to Fall Asleep? Read This Story.” National Geographic, Aug. 2018, pp.40-77.