For those worried about losing an hour sleep when the clocks changed over — relax. Losing an hour or so here and there will not dramatically affect one’s health. It is the lack of sleep over time that we must be concerned about.
According to MSNBC:
If you’re in the “spring forward” mode, don’t lose any sleep over the hour you’re losing. Aside from leaving you a bit groggy, it won’t have much effect on your health. But Dr. Rosalind Cartwright, sleep expert at Rush Medical Center in Chicago, says that if you lose too much sleep, even a couple of hours for just two or three days, your immune system suffers, and you’re more susceptible to colds and viral infections.
She also explains that if you get to sleep too late, or up too early, your body will make sure it gets the deep sleep it needs for rest. What you lose is the light sleep during which you dream, which is important for mood. Which explains why you might feel groggy and grumpy after we “spring forward” to daylight-saving time. It’s daylight science time
Optimal sleep time in general is seven hours
Last August I reported: “Doctors Charumathi Sabanayagam and Anoop Shankar of the West Virginia University (WVU) School of Medicine determined that seven hours of sleep is the optimal amount for heart health, according to a statement released on Sunday by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), publishers of SLEEP.
“Analyzing data from more than 30,000 adults who participated in the 2005 National Health Interview Survey, Sabanayagam and Shankar discovered that those who slept five total hours per day (including naps) had more than twice the risk of suffering from angina, coronary heart disease, heart attack or stroke than those who slept a total of seven hours each day.” Seven Hours Of Sleep Best For Heart Health
For a series of articles on SLEEP, please see these links:
Health Minute: the shocking sleep truth from Arianna Huffington
Health Minute: 7 hours sleep for hearts, recovery sleep for minds
To sleep, perchance to dream, and protect your heart (video)
Face Down Fears About Money and Get Some Sleep
A Good Man Gives a Good Night’s Sleep
Copyright 2011 Rita Watson/ All Rights Reserved