Sleep is Important for Your Mind and Body.

Sleep is very important to having a positive mindset and healthy body. Health professionals recommend adults to sleep 7 to 9 hours, although some people may need as few as 6 hours or as many as 10 hours of sleep each day. If you're a teenager (ages 14-17), you need about 8-10 hours of sleep each day. Children need more hours of rest, and much more is needed for babies.

I aim to have at least 7 hours of sleep every night, however, I have to admit that I'm not consistent on this. I've succeeded 85 times and today, July 10, 2019 is the 170th day of the year. After working during the day, I often return home and continue working late at night and into the early morning, even until the light of dawn when I'm in the zone. As of last night, July 9, 2019, I've made a greater commitment to achieving more restful nights of sleep.

Here's 5 benefits a good night's sleep has on your mind and body:

1. Reduces Your Stress and Anxiety. With a lack of rest, your mind and body goes into a state of stress, which causes high blood pressure and a higher production of stress hormones. High blood pressure increases your risk for heart attack and stroke. Increased stress hormones raises the level of inflammation in your body, causing a greater risk for heart-related conditions, as well as cancer and diabetes. Having a good sleep will prevent you from going into this state of stress. Also, ever notice how much more stressed out and anxious you are when you don't sleep enough? With a full rest, you're better at attacking your challenges!
2. Makes Your Mind Alert. A good night's sleep makes you more energetic and alert. When you're tired, it's hard to focus on your tasks, especially where a lot of thinking is involved.
3. Improves Your Memory. Sleep plays an important role in a process called memory consolidation. During sleep, your brain is processing your day, making connections between events, sensory input, feelings, and memories. 
4. Reduces Your Depression. Sleep affects many of the chemicals in your body, including serotonin. People with serotonin deficiencies are more likely to suffer from depression. Keep your serotonin and other happy chemicals up by going to bed early enough to get those restful hours.
5. Repairs Your Body. Sleep is a time when your body is working hard to repair damage caused by stress, ultraviolet rays, and other harmful exposure. Your cells produce more protein while you're sleeping. These protein molecules form the building blocks for cells, allowing them to repair the damage.

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