As we reached the end of Daylight Saving Time, many of us felt the power of an extra hour of sleep. This easy sleep transition has very real benefits that we should take advantage of. Why not keep a great thing going and make sure you get tucked in early tonight?
You’ll Activate Helpful Genes. A study divided participants into two groups, group one slept for 6 ½ hours a night, while group two slept 7 ½ hours a night for a week. During the send week the groups swapped how much time they slept. Based on blood tests and cognitive tasks, researchers had evidence that around 500 genes were switch on or off based on that additional or lack shut eye. The changes in genetic expression due to extra sleep helped protect against diabetes, cancer, inflammation and stress.
You’ll Have An Edge Over Your Competition. If you have a big game coming up or you simply want to meet a personal fitness goal, your key to success may lie in more sleep, not more training. Research suggests that just one extra hour of sleep can boost your athletic performance.
Your Heart Will Be Happy. Research shows that heart attacks increase when Daylight Saving Time begins in March, and it decrease when it ends in November. Given what we know about cardiovascular health and sleep, it all makes sense. A study showed that adults who slept for 7 hours a night had a 33% lower chance of having calcium deposits build up in their arteries. While another study found that people who got less than the recommended amount of sleep and had hypertension or pre-hypertension, benefited from an extra hour of sleep as the blood pressure levels significantly decreased.
You’ll Remember Better. Cutting back on sleep may reduce your time in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep kicks in about 90 minutes after you fall asleep and then about every 90 minutes after that, for periods of time that lengthen throughout the night. Your longest period of REM sleep, then, will be closer to the morning — and a blaring alarm might nip it in the bud. REM sleep is the stage of sleep most closely linked to learning and memory.
Don’t be afraid to enjoy sleep. It is the best healthcare we afford and what it pays back is priceless!
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