Hurricane Harvey did not just destroy homes, it also has destroyed healthy sleep schedules! Extreme stress and sleep deprivation can have a negative impact on your body and health. It is important to do everything you can to sleep your very best each night. Possessions and things can be replaced – people cannot. In true Texas spirit, we will all come together and overcome!
Working Together
Rebuilding involves more than just repairing walls and floors. Remember to take care of yourself and eat healthily and make sure you and your family rest as much as possible. If you need help or would like to volunteer, follow this link. You can also donate funds directly to help your neighbors recover!
Sleep, Stress, and Your Body
A study suggests that a lack of sleep can take the same negative toll on your body as being stressed does. Researchers from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom found that white blood (granulocytes) cell counts increased in the sleep deprived men used in their study. They also had a decrease in their natural rhythm between daytime and nighttime. Granulocytes reacted immediately to the loss of sleep and mirrored the body’s response to stress.
The SLEEP study included 15 young men in good health who were first put through a week-long period of extremely stabilized sleep –defined as, 8 hours of sleep a night, exposure to 15 minutes of daylight within the first 30 minutes of waking up and they could not use any medications, caffeine or alcohol during the last 3 days of the study. These participants were then kept awake for 29 hours continually, allowing researchers to monitor the effects of sleep deprivation on their immune systems.
After 24 hours of no sleep, extremely negative changes start to occur such as rising levels of stress hormone. After 1-2 days without sleep, the body decreases its ability to metabolize glucose, the immune system stops functioning and the body’s internal temperature begins to sink. Take care of yourself, especially during this stressful time!
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