Why We Sleep

I just finished the book “ Why We Sleep”, and while there weren’t any stunning findings in there, there were a lot of little things that I never knew before.

I’ve always considered sleep to be a “let your body rest, and your mind does some REM stuff too”, but it turns out the mind part of things (with both REM and NREM) are vitally important. The book makes the case that sleep is the most important thing you can do for your health, and it shares this great paragraph:

“AMAZING BREAKTHROUGH! Scientists have discovered a revolutionary new treatment that makes you live longer. It enhances your memory and makes you more creative. It makes you look more attractive. It keeps you slim and lowers food cravings. It protects you from cancer and dementia. It wards off colds and the flu. It lowers your risk of heart attacks and stroke, not to mention diabetes. You’ll even feel happier, less depressed, and less anxious. Are you interested?”

Health

In terms of health, these two statements sum up much of it:

“Routinely sleeping less than six or seven hours a night demolishes your immune system, more than doubling your risk of cancer.”

“Adults forty-five years or older who sleep fewer than six hours a night are 200 percent more likely to have a heart attack or stroke during their lifetime, as compared with…