The Nocturnal Nutrient: Are you getting enough darkness?

In Paradise Lost, John Milton writes, “What hath night to do with sleep?” The answer – everything!

In last month’s blog, we highlighted the vital importance and life-saving benefits that derive from getting the “right kind” of deep sleep. This month, we would like to delve even deeper into the power of sleep, because as Dr. Russel Reiter, a professor in the Department of Cellular and Structural Biology at the University of Texas San Antonio highlights,  “Light is killing you.”

The Power of Sleep

We spend one-third of our lifespan sleeping.

Why?

Simply put, sleeping is an essential component of human survival. Scientific studies have revealed that rats deprived of sleep die within two to three weeks of continued sleep deprivation. And rats with continued sleep debt live about five months – compared to a normal lifespan of two to three years.

Unfortunately, most people maintain a casual attitude toward sleep, while others don’t sleep nearly as well as they should. People go to bed late and get up early, they toss and turn throughout the night, they wake up and can’t get back to sleep, while many just lay there, aimlessly – as the seconds, then minutes, then hours tick by.

Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most natural and effortless ways to maintain a healthy immune system.