ZZZZs are Important, Too

I stayed up too late last night – I got caught up in e-mail and surfing on my computer. It wasn’t a total waste of time; I did get to draft a newsletter and wrote some other things. But I did pay for it today. I have a headache and I’m tired, and I feel like I have a little hangover even though I didn’t drink any alcohol. Maybe slightly depressed, too.

I’m not the only one staying up too late. According to a recent sleep study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, more people are shorting themselves on sleep for more leisure time. The study shows that the number hours spent at work is a major reason why people are sleep deprived.

According to this article on Mercola’s website, a sleep deficit increases the risk of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, heart attack and stroke. Of course, this is more likely if you are chronically deprived of sleep. You can overcome sleep deprivation pretty quickly if you start getting to bed earlier, making sure you wake up at the same time every morning, and avoiding sugar or quick carbs before bed.