Feb 4, 2009: The Joy of Sleep

Who doesn’t love to snuggle under the covers into a warm, soft bed? That moment of lying down, relaxing, and letting go is one of my favorite times of the whole day.

Scientists are now proving that getting your eight hours is even more important than we realized. People who sleep a solid eight or more hours are only one third as likely to get a cold, compared to those who sleep seven hours or less, according to a recent study by Sheldon Cohen, psychology professor at Carnegie Mellon University. A good night’s sleep seems to help your immune system keep you healthy.

A 2005 study of 10,000 adults tentatively linked the growing problem of obesity in America to the growing tendency to stay up late and watch television or play on the computer. We’ve only had electricity for a couple of hundred years, not nearly long enough for our bodies to adapt to strong artificial light. One theory is that when we are alert at night, our bodies are wired to think we must be searching for food or avoiding danger. Staying up late disrupts the hormones ghrelin and leptin that regulate appetite.

But let’s stay focused on the positive. Sleeping is fun! How wonderful that a good night’s sleep also helps us stay alert, improves relationships, helps us avoid injury, and may even help us avoid serious medical problems like heart attack, stroke, and obesity.

What are some tricks to ease into sleep? Heat up a beanbag in the microwave for about three minutes, then put it under the covers for toasty feet. Take a warm shower or bath, and slide between the sheets refreshed and relaxed. Listen to quiet music, perhaps while you drink a glass of warm milk or herbal tea. A couple of tricks that work for me: read for a few minutes in bed, and sleep in a warm bed in a cold room. A cousin falls asleep by playing a mental spelling game. She tries to think of words where the letters are in alphabetical order, like bow (B – O – W) or mossy (M – O – S – S – Y).

First and foremost, go to bed happy! Tonight when you lie down, breathe a deep sigh, count your blessings, and smile, knowing you are giving your body exactly what it craves.