Wenatex Blog | Healthy Sleep for a Better Life

Sleep is vital for good health, and in our busy lives we sometimes forget just how important it is. On this blog, we rabbit on about all things sleep, but maybe it is time we go back and revisit the basics.

I found a great article that covers what happens during sleep and looks at all the different stages of sleep without all the scientific mumbo jumbo. Check out the article at http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/sleep-101. Essentially, you need to get all stages of sleep to get a good night’s sleep and most adults need 7 to 8 hours sleep per night. When you are deprived of sleep there can be impacts on your health, for example, impaired memory, depression, decreased immune response, fatigue, and increased pain are just of few of the potential consequences.

So if you are sleeping poorly, or you would like to find out more about getting a better, healthier night’s sleep, Wenatex runs free ‘Healthy Sleep for a Better Life’ seminars all over Australia. To find one at a location near you, you can register online at http://www.wenatex.com.au/seminars_registration.asp

Here is the proof - Wenatex has always argued that turning off the bedside lamp will help you get a better sleep. Now science has taken this thinking a step further and a new study links leaving the light on with depression.

I read an article this morning that discussed a recent study which exposed hamsters to artificial light and found that after four weeks, they were disinterested in things that they previously enjoyed, when compared with a control group.

However, the positive that came out of the study is that these effects can be reversed by simply turning the light off!

To read the article from New York Daily News which inspired this blog entry, go to http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/dim-lighting-sleep-linked-depression-article-1.1122322

To learn more about how to get a healthy night’s sleep, you should consider attending a free Wenatex ‘Healthy Sleep for a Better Life’ seminar. They are held all over Australia. To register your interest, go to http://www.wenatex.com.au/seminars_registration.asp

Let me know what you think.

Be wise and have fun

Juan

 

Today, I received the latest newsletter from one of the most prestigious medical schools in the USA, John Hopkins Medicine, in which they discuss the latest advances in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of depression and anxiety.

The opening article was the following:

 

 

If you read carefully, you will see that the first question asked by professionals in relation to mental health is:

“Do you toss and turn at night, or wake up at 3 am unable to get back to sleep?”

This tells us two things:

1.         People who suffer from mental disorders generally suffer from sleep problems.

2.         People who suffer from sleep difficulties have a high probability of suffering from mental problems.

It concludes with:

“When your emotions cloud your outlook, interfere with your relationships, or affect the way you sleep at night and function during the day, you may be suffering from depression or an anxiety disorder.”

A friend of mine went spiralling into clinical depression and I remember that she was sleeping an average of 18 to 21 hours per day. The sad thing is that this continued until she committed suicide.

Do you have stories you would like to share? You can do it anonymously.

 

Until tomorrow be wise and have fun

 

Juan

 

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