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The Need For Sleep
Let’s start 2017 in a healthy fashion and see if we can all improve ourselves just a little bit more. Did you know that the latest research in sleep medicine is indicating that we are supposed to sleep around nine hours each night?
Yes, that’s correct nine hours. There are so many reasons for this, but in this short article we can only cover a handful.
A few decades ago researchers did not understand why human beings needed sleep it seemed to be a leftover from our hunting and fighting period. But now it is quite clear what is going on. The human body needs to “re-charge” at nighttime in order to prepare for the day ahead.
At nighttime, our brains drain out what are called beta amyloid particles in order to stay healthy and this requires us to shut down completely. Researchers at the University of Virginia have confirmed how critical it is that these particles drain out at night, otherwise the ramifications are that we are more likely to experience such maladies as Alzheimer’s, ADD, OCD, and autoimmune problems.
This is pretty scary stuff when you realize that there are millions of Americans who simply do not get anywhere near the amount of sleep they require to stay healthy.
Another massive problem in this country is sleep apnea. Apnea occurs when the body stops breathing a certain number of times per hour and oxygen levels in the blood drop substantially. Sleep apnea is directly correlated to heart disease, diabetes, gastrological problems, and a whole host of other issues.
Just imagine, if you are not getting anywhere near those nine hours of sleep and let’s face it most of us do not get anywhere near the sleep their bodies need this means you are more likely to experience these problems as the years go by.
So what is the solution? Well, first you go see your regular doctor and have the normal blood work and yearly checkup that is needed to monitor any changes that might be happening.
If you snore, and so very many of us do, then it would be wise to do a sleep study to determine if you have sleep apnea.
In some cases it is necessary to wear a CPAP device to push air into your lungs. In other cases, simply wearing an intraoral device will prop open your airway enough that you can breathe adequately without the need for the CPAP device.
Either way, it is critical that you breathe properly or else you will one day have problems.
All of this information may sound a bit scary, but it is all true. You must see your doctor on a regular basis in order to monitor your stats blood pressure, pulse, oxygen levels, bloodwork, etc. in order to keep healthy.
Otherwise you will end up on medications, which can reduce your quality of life. So get out there, call your doctor, and do those checkups!
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