Reclaiming The Night, The Sleep Solution

Would you like to control your appetite, regulate your weight and boost your immune system without going on a special diet or taking a pill?

It turns out you may just need more sleep. Researcher Neil Stanley has recently called for society to “reclaim the night” for some shut-eye. A good night’s sleep may be just as important as exercise and a healthy diet, but it’s rarely emphasized in public health campaigns. Aside from increased grumpiness and a reliance on caffeine, studies have indicated that inadequate sleep can lead to heart disease, diabetes and depression.

Yet society tends to scorn sleep. As BBC explains: “It has been reported that tired drivers now cause more deaths on European roads than drunk drivers, and yet whilst it has become socially unacceptable to be drunk behind the wheel or in the workplace it is almost a matter of pride that we believe we can function properly when tired.” The culprit may be the very technology that was supposed to give us more free time. We’ve grown used to the convenience of 24/7 accessibility but found it increasingly hard to disconnect. Of course, some companies have already devised a high-tech answer: New York City nappers can rent state-of-the-art sleep pods at Yelo or MetroNaps. But for those of us who can’t get to a fancy sleep pod, how do you balance sleep with modern life?

[via BBC]