In this Step we want to focus not only on the importance of getting a good night’s sleep, but how to insure that as well, with the knowledge that the organ that suffers most from sleep deprivation is the brain.
Numerous studies are now showing that a chronic lack of sleep—less than 6 hours a night—can not only cause one to feel tired and grouchy, it can also boost cravings for high-calorie foods, increase belly fat, and increase our risk for diabetes.
In fact, a recent study appearing in the journal SLEEP showed just one night of sleep deprivation is associated with signs of brain distress, damage, and even cell loss! All of which, over time, are strongly correlated with cognitive decline, poor judgment, poor memory and high risk for dementia.
In fact clinical reports from doctors trained in the Bredesen protocol for reversing cognitive decline, note that patients with sleep apnea or chronic sleep deprivation, seldom see major improvements in their cognitive abilities, no matter what else they try, without first improving the depth and duration of their sleep.
Yet, you probably wouldn’t be surprised to hear that we, as a population, with all of our new electronic gadgets, and old bad habits, have been getting less and less restorative sleep. In fact, about ⅓ of Americans report they get less than the recommended 7 hours of sleep each night. This helps to explain why so many of us feel constantly fatigued, with low energy and foggy thinking, and why so many of us end up with dementia.
