Sleep - not to long; not to short seems to be the key

Not more than eight (8) and not less than six (6) hours a night maybe the key in maintaining weight, living longer and reducing your risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Women's study finds longevity means getting just enough sleep

ScienceDaily (2010-10-01) -- A new study, derived from novel sleep research 14 years earlier, suggests that the secret to a long life may come with just enough sleep. Less than five hours a night is probably not enough; eight hours is probably too much. ... > read full article
 
Sleep Duration Related To Having Metabolic Syndrome

ScienceDaily (2008-05-01) -- Short and long sleepers are more likely to have metabolic syndrome, or a combination of medical disorders that increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. According to the results, the odds for having the metabolic syndrome increased by more than 45 percent in both short and long sleepers. ... > read full article

Aerobic exercise relieves insomnia

ScienceDaily (2010-09-15) -- Millions of middle-aged and older adults who suffer from insomnia have a new drug-free prescription for a more restful night's sleep. Regular aerobic exercise dramatically improves the quality of sleep, mood and vitality, according to a new study. ... > read full article


Long sleep duration linked to an increased risk of metabolic syndrome in older adults

ScienceDaily (2010-06-10) -- Participants reporting a daily sleep duration of eight hours or more including naps were 15 percent more likely to have metabolic syndrome. This relationship remained unchanged after full adjustment for potential confounders. Participants who reported a short sleep duration of less than six hours initially were 14 percent more likely to have metabolic syndrome; this association disappeared after controlling for potential confounders. Participants were 29,310 people 50 years of age or older in Guangzhou, China. ... > read full article
 

Chronic Insomnia With Short Sleep Duration Is Significant Risk Factor For Hypertension

ScienceDaily (2009-04-09) -- A new study is the first to demonstrate that chronic insomnia with objectively measured short sleep time is an independent and clinically significant risk factor for hypertension. ... > read full article
 

Short, Long Sleep Duration Is Associated With Future Weight Gain In Adults#

ScienceDaily (2008-04-04) -- Both short and long sleeping times predict an increased risk of future body weight and fat gain in adults. Short and long duration sleepers were 35 percent and 25 percent more likely to experience a 5 kg weight gain, respectively, as compared with average duration sleepers over six years. The risk of developing obesity was elevated for short and long duration sleepers as compared with average duration sleepers, with 27 percent and 21 percent increases in risk, respectively. ... > read full article
 

Too Much Or Too Little Sleep Increases Risk Of Diabetes

ScienceDaily (2009-04-23) -- Scientists have found that people who sleep too much or not enough are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance. The risk is 2.5 times higher for people who sleep less than seven hours or more than eight hours a night. ... > read full article

Sleep May Be Factor In Weight Control

ScienceDaily (2009-05-19) -- Could sleep be a critical component to maintaining a healthy body weight? According to new research, body mass index is linked to length and quality of sleep in a surprisingly consistent fashion. ... > read full article
 
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine offers the following tips on how to get a good night's sleep:


•Follow a consistent bedtime routine.

•Establish a relaxing setting at bedtime.

•Get a full night's sleep every night.

•Avoid foods or drinks that contain caffeine, as well as any medicine that has a stimulant, prior to bedtime.

•Do not bring your worries to bed with you.

•Do not go to bed hungry, but don't eat a big meal before bedtime either.

•Avoid any rigorous exercise within six hours of your bedtime.

•Make your bedroom quiet, dark and a little bit cool.

•Get up at the same time every morning.
 

 

Valerian Root and Passion Flower can also assist in calming you down at bed time; Valarian Root Complex from Mediherb Valerian Complex contains Valerian, Passion Flower and Zizyphus spinosa. Together these herbs and their constituents can help the body to: support nervous system health and obtain relief from occasional sleeplessness; use one to two tablets 20-30 min before bed . The use of a blood sugar stabilizing product such as A-F Betafood from Standard Process can also assist in sleep maintenance; by assisting the body in creating glycogen stores thus providing a constant source of fuel during sleep; use two to four tablets 20-30 min before bed time. Increased lactic acid and its subsquent build up is also a strong adrenal stimulant causing patients to awaken and then being unable to return to sleep.Cataplex B can assist this condition. (from Walther).

Book - "The Promise of Sleep" Dr William C. Dement, M.D., Ph.D. great resourse.

Review  - Healthful sleep has been empirically proven to be the single most important factor in predicting longevity, more influential than diet, exercise, or heredity. And yet we are a sleep-sick society, ignorant of the facts of sleep--and the price of sleep deprivation. In this groundbreaking book, based on decades of study on the frontiers of sleep science, Dr. William Dement, founder and director of the Stanford University Sleep Research Center, explains what happens when we sleep, when we don't, and how we can reclaim the most powerful--and underrated--health miracle of all.

Don