Mind-Body Health

Sleep is an important physiological function. Not only is the amount of sleep important, but the quality of sleep. Getting to sleep, staying asleep, and not being disturbed while sleeping are important factors in getting adequate rest.

Sleep problems are either intrinsic — caused by us — or extrinsic — caused by something else. Two examples of extrinsic causes would be medication or noisy neighbors, but the list of things that can interfere with a good night’s sleep seems endless –

physical aches and pains
depression
anxiety
jet lag
shift work

Any of these things can result in [...]

Some people can seemingly get by with very little sleep and function at a high level, but these people are the exception. The latest sleep research shows that the brain needs at least 8 hours of sleep to function at its best.