Do you suffer from any of the following symptoms?
- poor memory
- foggy thinking
- anxiety
- restlessness
- fatigue
Although each of these symptoms may result from a myriad of imbalances in the mind, body, or spirit, a commonly associated problem is insufficient sleep.
According to a report, Alzheimer’s and/or Dementia, is on the rise in Canada.
Dementia is a debilitating disease that involves varying levels of brain tissue degeneration. Common symptoms include memory disorders, personality changes, and impaired reasoning. Thankfully many researchers are investigating the risk factors and causes behind its development.
One possible link with Alzheimer’s and Dementia being explored in the literature is the amount of sleep one gets throughout their lifetime. A study completed at a medical university suggested an association between sleeping 7 hours or less and brain degeneration. Click here to read a brief summary of the findings.
The exact purpose and benefit of sleep is not clearly understood in the medical community. However, the general consensus of most health care professionals is that although we don’t know exactly why we need adequate sleep, it is crucial to a healthy functioning body. All systems require this nightly reboot, including our cognitive, hormonal, cardiovascular, circulatory, neurological and immune systems. And over time insufficient sleep time may lead to chronic disease.
A neuroscientist, Jeff Iliff is asking the very question of why we need sleep, and outlines his findings in this fantastic TedTalk. Click here to watch a short video on the fascinating outcomes of his sleep research.
If you or someone you love is suffering from poor sleep patterns, do not press snooze on the problem. It is important to recognize that sleeping medications or supplements may not address the underlying cause. It is important to know the reasons why you may not be sleeping, and address those factors directly.
