Sleep Facts 
- 25 YEARS is the amount of time you spend asleep over your lifetime. Wow, that’s a lot of time. During sleep time, numerous restorative processes happen that are crucial to keep us alive and function well when we are awake.
- Genes associated with restoration & metabolic rate are activated during sleep. This involves hormones too so getting good quality shut eye does boost the immune system, keeping the weight in balance, so in essence slimmer. Also anti-ageing! So you look younger with more sleep.
- 7.9 million people have used alcohol to help them get to sleep at night. While 6.8 million self- medicate with OTC drugs. That’s a staggering amount! Try natural remedies first, they work as getting to the route reason why you can’t sleep is more effective than artificially sedating the body and mind.
- 30-40% of all health issues treated by GP’s are sleep related. I reckon there would be less if more people chose complimentary therapies first.
- 11 days is the record for the longest period without sleep. Even one day without sleep can have consequences on health. The longer the period the more it can negatively impact the body and mental health.
- What keeps you awake: 67% said body discomfort, 36% said noise, 34% said their partner, 34% said room temperature. Stress and worrying also is a huge factor. But looks like the people surveyed found the above to be the top reasons.
- You are 5X more likely to get Type 2 diabetes if you sleep 5 hours or less each night. Some truth to this, although there are other lifestyle factors to take into account of course. There are many hormones that interplay such as the hunger hormones ghrelin, leptin, cortisol, and also insulin which is influenced by all of them. Someone sleep deprived is more likely to be hungrier and eat more during the waking period. Constant snacking for example can lead to more insulin being released throughout the day which over time leads to insulin not functioning and responding to raised blood sugars. This leads to the insulin resistance which is type 2 diabetes. The pancreas is the organ which releases insulin, the poor organ also becomes exhausted as its being overworked.
