(NaturalNews) While most people are used to an extremely busy lifestyle that likely cuts into the amount of sleep that they get, what they may not be aware of is that lack of shut eye can seriously jeopardize their health. In fact, the American Psychological Association's website states that "having a 24/7 lifestyle can... interrupt regular sleep patterns: the global economy that includes round the clock industries working to beat the competition" can lead to a range of problems that include serious vehicular accidents. ⁽¹⁾ That's just for starters.

Among other health issues that improper sleep can cause are abnormalities in the cardiovascular system, alterations in the brain and nervous system, changes to the immune system, stroke, moodiness, depression, obesity and gravitating toward drug or alcohol abuse. ⁽¹⁾ So serious is the issue of sleep that, in Japan, many nap salons have opened up for businesspeople to rest and then return to work with increased levels of alertness that they obtained from the nap. ⁽²⁾

Not only should adults strive to get about 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep nightly, but they should also consider napping during the day, which is likened to rebooting the brain. ⁽²⁾ However, the amount of time spent napping is critical as far as whether or not the snooze will be effective; too much, or too little, time napping may not be ideal depending on the goal that a person hopes to reach.

Amount of sleep that's needed to achieve certain goals

For example, if boosting energy is the goal, 10-20 minutes is considered helpful. For those seeking to get some cognitive, memory-processing benefits such as remembering faces, facts and places, a one-hour nap may be good; however, grogginess upon waking could occur. If it's creativity or emotions that are in need of being recharged, a 90-minute nap which involves a full sleep cycle can make it possible. ⁽²⁾

If falling and staying asleep is problematic, consider eating certain foods which can help make falling asleep easier.

Certain cherries, for example, are considered a natural sleep aid because they have high melatonin levels which play a role in promoting sleepiness. Other foods that help people fall asleep are peanuts and almonds. ⁽³⁾

Sources:

(1) http://www.apa.org

(2) http://www.spiritscienceandmetaphysics.com

(3) http://www.naturalnews.com

About the author:
A science enthusiast with a keen interest in health nutrition, Antonia has been intensely researching various dieting routines for several years now, weighing their highs and their lows, to bring readers the most interesting info and news in the field. While she is very excited about a high raw diet, she likes to keep a fair and balanced approach towards non-raw methods of food preparation as well. >>> Click here to see more by Antonia