Ask The Experts

Why do we need at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night?—workaholic.

Getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep a night improves memory, boosts metabolism, enhances mood, minimizes stress and keeps you generally healthy!

Tiny as they are, the adrenal glands that sit on top of the kidneys, are powerful!  Responsible for regulating stress through various hormone function, they are the control center for healthy mental and body functioning.  The “Fight or Flight” reaction is something everyone deals with as a result of day to day stresses.  When a stress occurs or the body gets too little sleep, cortisol raises to meet the challenge by converting protein into energy, and releasing glycogen to counteract inflammation.  In healthy adrenal function, the cortisol levels will drop, allowing the body to neutralize.  However it is when cortisol levels remain high that problems arise.

If you can get to bed as close to 10 p.m. as often as possible, you will notice a big difference.  The natural cycle of sleep occurs in the body prior to 10pm.

Sweet dreams!