The Importance of Sleep Part 2
Sleep is an important part of my patient intake questionnaire because sleep is an essential part of our health process. During sleep time our bodies rejuvenate, restore and recover from our daily activities. When we are deprived of sleep over a period of several days to several weeks it can impact our well-being to varying degrees. The National Sleep Foundation reports that approximately one third of Americans report sleeping problems. Examples of some symptoms of impaired sleep are irritability, tiredness, inability to tolerate stress, frequent infections, behavioral learning or social problems, increased blood pressure, inability to lose weight or alterations of appetite, decreased productivity, breathing disorders, etc..
Why does lack of sleep cause so many types of problems?
Our sleep is regulated by hormones and neurotransmitters which are messengers, that provide information to our nervous system about when to relax and rest in the evening and when gain momentum for activity for the day. This cycle of telling our body to slow down or ramp up is called circadian rhythms.
