{"id":24249,"date":"2012-02-29T18:32:45","date_gmt":"2012-02-29T18:32:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?p=24249"},"modified":"2017-04-27T07:56:55","modified_gmt":"2017-04-27T12:56:55","slug":"get-more-sleep-or-else-alan-freishtat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/get-more-sleep-or-else-alan-freishtat\/","title":{"rendered":"Get More Sleep – Or Else"},"content":{"rendered":"

It wasn\u2019t long ago that the standard advice for good health was: eat right, exercise and don\u2019t smoke. \u00a0However today, health care professionals are adding another very important element to that list\u2014get enough sleep.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>In today\u2019s world of one big global economy, more and more people are working jobs that require second and third shifts; they are working out of their time zone. \u00a0Many watch late-night television or use the Internet till the wee hours. \u00a0Worries and daily problems keep us from sleeping enough hours or from sleeping soundly.<\/p>\n

According to research done at the Mayo Clinic, insufficient sleep results in memory impairment, slower reaction times, lack of alertness and general grumpiness. \u00a0Tired people are less productive at work, less patient with others and less interactive in their relationships. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 100,000 crashes each year are due to drivers falling asleep at the wheel.<\/p>\n

For those of us who exercise regularly, we all know how unproductive a session can be when we have failed to get a good night\u2019s sleep. And \u2013 just to kick you when you\u2019re down \u2013 lack of sleep will also disrupt your metabolism and cause you to secrete more of the hormone cortisol. \u00a0This increases your appetite and causes you to crave fatty foods.<\/p>\n

But just how much sleep is considered \u201cenough\u201d? Even though most evidence indicates that the amount of sleep needed is highly individualized, the majority people require seven to eight hours of sleep at night. \u00a0According to the National Sleep Foundation, one-third of Americans are sleeping six-and-a-half hours per night – or less.<\/p>\n

Dr. John Shepard Jr., who runs the Mayo Sleep Clinic, offers the following advice on how to get a better night\u2019s sleep.<\/p>\n