Repost: The Benefits of Sleep

I hope my sleep themed week isn't making you, well, sleepy! This was originally posted in June 2009, but I found it to be particularly pertinent this week. Enjoy!

When I was in college, I had the opportunity to listen to a semi-motivational speaker (and I say "semi" because he seemed more apt at rambling than motivating). He spoke rapidly, moved around the stage often, and gestured wildly with his hands when he said words like "life" and "goal." At first, this was amusing and my stressed out brain enjoyed the somewhat incoherent chatter coming from this guy's mouth, but when referring to his skewed sense of time management, he said this: "Don't worry so much about sleep. You'll sleep when you die." To which I thought, "Geeze, how many lattes has this guy had!"

To this day, I wholeheartedly disagree with this type of sentiment. To some, life is all about "Go!Go!Go!" and if you are that person, then more power to you, but sleep is a necessity that give us the ability to function properly. (Have you ever gone into work after a restless night and felt as if your eyes and your brain weren't attached? I have. It wasn't fun.) Although it can be hard, especially while planning a wedding, working a full time job, finding time for yourself, and if you have kids, you might as well forget sleep, but an important fact always remains: sleep is a vital part of a healthy life.

If you had any doubts or need a better reason to crawl into bed a little earlier, check out the benefits your body reaps from sleeping: (source FitSugar.com)

1. Sleep helps keep your immune system strong.

2. While you're asleep, your brain sorts and processes the information it received while you're awake.

3. Recent research suggests that sufficient sleep aids in weight loss, while sleep deprivation can result in an inability to lose or maintain weight.

4. A good night of sleep keeps coordination in tip top shape.

5. The body repairs itself while you're alseep. Get 8 hours to avoid puffy eyes and circles under the eyes.

6. There may be a link between a good night's rest and fertility. Some experts suggest that sleep deprivation can make getting pregnant more difficult. (ConceiveOnline.com)

So next time someone says, "Don't worry so much about sleep," you can just smile and nod, because while they're grabbing another latte, rambling incoherently, and doing whatever is so important at two in the morning, you'll be snuggled into your cozy bed, dreaming about wedding cakes and honeymoons.

Photo Credit: Tumultuous Woman