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Sleep Trivia • An estimated 50–70 million adult Americans suffer from some type of sleep disorder. March 15 has been designated Insomnia Awareness Day to spotlight the serious health issues related to this crisis. • People who exercise on a regular basis fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly than the average person, while those who only exercise now and then have far more difficulty falling asleep. • Humans are the only mammals that purposefully delay the act of sleep; most animals sleep when they feel tired, no matter what they're doing at the time. • All animals require different amounts of sleep. Giraffes sleep for less than 2 hours per day, while brown bats sleep for nearly 20 hours. The average cat will spend two-thirds of its life snoozing. www.ascpskincare.com 13 Sleep is crucial to your overall well- being. Unlike exercise, sleep isn't optional; our dependence on it has been programmed into the fibers of our DNA, and both our bodies and brains crave sleep the way we crave food and water. But unlike eating, there is no fast-food approach to satisfying your body's much-needed sleep requirement. Occasional catnaps might curb your fatigue for a short time, but a commitment to good sleep health requires a much larger investment. If You Don't Snooze, You Lose Just like a vehicle needs fuel, your body needs sleep. Without it, human beings would stutter to a halt and cease to function. Although every individual has different needs, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends a minimum of seven hours of sleep per night for adults. Going without this amount of rest increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other serious ailments. Research shows it can also cause premature skin aging and lessen the skin's ability to fight off the harmful effects of sun exposure and other environmental dangers. While the healing powers of sleep are numerous, they can be summed up in one simple way: shutting down your brain for seven hours is the same as closing a shopping mall for the evening. While the lights are out and everything's quiet, mall management cleans up messes, restocks shelves, and prepares the venue for another day of brisk activity. The human brain assumes that management role, sending out hormones that spur tissue growth and help your body recover from both injuries and everyday soreness. Virus-fighting white blood cells are also created during this downtime, while your blood pressure and level of stress decrease. Studies also suggest that brain cells assume a different structure during sleep, flushing out toxins that accumulate during waking hours. Lay Down the Law Social engagements, family commitments, and electronic devices are just a few of the things that prevent many of us from maintaining healthy sleep habits. Getting that precious slumber becomes much easier, though, when you make adequate sleep a top priority by adopting sleep-friendly habits and creating a sleep-friendly environment. This begins by avoiding caffeine, strenuous exercise, nicotine, video games, cell phone apps, and anything else that might overstimulate your mind or body in the hours leading up to bedtime. Instead, create a pre-sleep ritual that includes a soothing bath, herbal tea, yoga, reading a good book (paper, not electronic), writing in a journal, or other calming activities. Once it's time for bed, make sure your bedroom is both dark and cool; darkness signals the brain that it's time to rest, and the National Sleep Foundation recommends between 60 and 67 degrees as an ideal temperature range for sleeping. Finally, set a sleep schedule and stick to it; this keeps your internal body clock adjusted and allows you to both fall asleep and wake up with less effort. Rise and Shine The positive effects of sleep can't be overstated. In addition to improving your health, a good night's sleep will also boost your mood and your performance. You'll have more energy, more creativity, a brighter disposition, a better memory, heightened decision-making skills, more radiant skin, and lower levels of stress and depression. A healthy sleep routine is your body's best defense against premature aging at the cellular level, keeping your skin, hair, and nails beautiful. While some health remedies are hit and miss, this one works like a dream. ▪

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