While we often take a good night's sleep for granted, there is more and more research to support the necessity of good quality sleep for sustained health. Recent studies have shown that a lack of sleep can have a dramatic impact on quality of life, influencing one's weight, blood pressure, immune system and, of course, energy levels. All of these may be improved, just by increasing the amount of nightly sleep. For these reasons quality sleep should be as important as exercise and good eating in a healthy lifestyle program.

Weight Gain

Recent research indicates that sleep deprivation can lead directly to weight gain and ultimately, obesity. In one recent study, researchers found that the women sleeping 5 or fewer hours per night were 32% more likely to experience major weight gain, defined as an increase of 33 lbs. or more, and 15% more likely to become obese during the 16-year study period than the women who slept at least 7 hours per night. In addition, women who slept for 6 hours were 12% more likely to have major weight gain and 6% more likely to become obese compared with women who slept at least 7 hours per night. One of the most surprising findings, was that the women who slept less actually ate less, but still gained more weight than the well-rested women. Earlier studies have suggested that sleep deprivation may impact the hypothalamus, resulting in reduced the levels of the hormone leptin which gives the sensation of feeling "full" and raising levels of the hormone grehlin which makes us feel hungry.

Blood Pressure

A report published in the May 2006 medical journal Hypertension suggests that long-term sleep deprivation increases the risk of hypertension (high blood pressure). Researchers analyzed data for 4,810 participants, who were between the ages of 32 and 86 years. Among participants between the ages of 32 and 59 years, those who slept less than six hours a night had more than double the risk of high blood pressure than did those who slept more than six hours a night. This association was not significant in participants older than 59 years.

Immune system

Sleep provides a regenerative and rebuilding period for all of your body's systems, especially your immune system. When the body is robbed of this restorative function, it becomes vulnerable to infection and disease. Researchers believe the body releases hormones during sleep that actually boost the immune system. They also believe that the immune system of a well-rested person is more likely to provide a strong defense against invading bacteria and viruses.

Memory

Most of us have had firsthand experience with sleep deprivation and memory reduction. Researchers proved this in a recent study at Harvard Medical School and Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Researchers kept test subjects awake for 35 hours, exposed them to a series of slides, and then sent them home to sleep. The following day, they exposed subjects to the same slides again, as well as new slides, and asked test subjects to identify which slides were new. Researchers found that the test subjects who had been sleep deprived scored the worst on the slide recognition test when compared to patients who had not been sleep deprived, even though they had been given a full night's sleep prior to the test.

Energy

Energy (or lack of energy) is one of the top 3 health concerns for most adults. Getting good quality sleep is the first step in increasing your energy. Sleep is highly restorative for the body and the mind and if someone doesn't get enough sleep, the body's energy supplies are low for the following day.

Tips for getting a good night's sleep:

Are you getting enough sleep? Experts say that between 7-9 hours is the norm for adults; however, an easy test is whether you find yourself drowsy during the day, even during boring activities. If you do, then you're probably not getting enough sleep. To help improve your sleep, try some of the following tips:

• Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
• Develop a calming ritual to prepare yourself for sleep, whether it's drinking caffeine-free herbal tea before bed, meditating, or other relaxing activities.
• Keep a pad and pen by your bed to write down any issues or "to do" list items as they come to you. This helps to alleviate stress.
• Try not to exercise within 3 hours of bedtime as this can be over-stimulating and cause insomnia.
• Create a calming bedroom environment- no working, no TV, no bill paying.
• Keep the temperature on the cool side to help you sleep.
• Avoid drinking alcohol before bedtime, as it can rob you of the deep sleep you need during the night.
• Avoid caffeine as it can also prevent deep restful sleep patterns.