"Turn out the light and go to bed, LeAnn." I can still hear Mama calling up the stairs. She knew I was tired and needed sleep.

Are you tired? Yet do you sometimes hear yourself say, "I get by on that much sleep," or "I survive on that many hours"? Since when is getting by and surviving good enough for us?

The National Sleep Foundation estimates that two out of three people are sleep deprived. We steal time from our sleep to meet increasing demands from work, fun and family. Too often, we don't listen to our bodies' cues and we chug caffeine or energy drinks instead!  

More and more research is proving the importance of sleep. Lots of healing and restorative things happen in our bodies and brains while we're sleeping. Important hormones are released and brain metabolism changes. Sleep deprivation increases the stress hormone cortisol, which can lead to memory impairment, poor judgment, depletion of the immune system, and the promotion of fat instead of muscle (now I've got your attention!).  

Lack of sleep is a major stressor to our bodies. It increases anxiety and decreases coping skills (and goodness knows we need all the coping we can muster!). 

So what do we do about this? Research proves that the human body requires eight hours of sleep in a twenty-four hour period. Period. Most adults tell you they just don't need eight hours and they're doing just fine, thank you very much. But clearly, research shows they are not doing fine. Are you?

50% of American said they would go to bed earlier if they didn't have TV or internet. Listen to Mama. "Turn out the light and go to bed." :)   

To learn tools for better sleep, order a personalized copy of LeAnn's book detailing these and more lessons, Balancing Life in Your "War Zones": A Guide to Physical, Mental and Spiritual Health.