According to new research done at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA, about two-thirds of employed people in the United States are working nonstandard working hours. These nonstandard work hours include evenings, weekends, overtime, and business meetings scheduled at night. The optimal amount of sleep needed is approximately eight hours per night; however, the amount of sleep is variable per individual.

 

                Here are some reasons everyone needs to get at least eight hours of sleep per night:

 

1.       Emotional Stability: Sleep provides the mind and body with needed rest. Every hour during the sleep cycle, the brain goes into R.E.M. sleep, or Rapid Eye Movement sleep. During this time, the brain is letting go of or working through emotional issues. The best rest and rejuvenation for the brain during R.E.M. sleep is during the last two cycles of the sleep cycle, or during hours seven and eight of sleeping.

 

2.       Weight Reduction: The body needs time to rest and align during the sleeping hours. Recent research has shown that the body needs at least eight hours of sleep per night or the body will gain weight because it is being deprived of resting the body’s regulation mechanisms.

 

3.       Physical Health: One-third of everyone’s time during any twenty-four hour period should be spent sleeping to provide the proper balance and nourishing for the body’s systems. Without the proper amount of sleep, or with constant changes in sleep schedules, the body lacks the balance and homeostasis needed for maximum body functioning. Lack of sleep will compromise the immune system of the body.

 

4.       Memory Improvement: Recent neurological research discovered that a lack of sleep greatly disturbed regular short-term and long-term memory functioning of people. With the proper amount of sleep, the mind and body can be in balance, and the memory functioning of the brain can be optimized.