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Scientists Finding Out What Losing Sleep Does to a Body
The Washington Post ^ | 10/09/2005 | Rob Stein

Posted on 10/10/2005 11:14:46 AM PDT by Pragmatic_View

Beyond leaving people bleary-eyed, clutching a Starbucks cup and dozing off at afternoon meetings, failing to get enough sleep or sleeping at odd hours heightens the risk for a variety of major illnesses, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity, recent studies indicate.

Physiologic studies suggest that a sleep deficit may put the body into a state of high alert, increasing the production of stress hormones and driving up blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. Moreover, people who are sleep-deprived have elevated levels of substances in the blood that indicate a heightened state of inflammation in the body, which has also recently emerged as a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes.

The analysis of a nationally representative sample of nearly 10,000 adults found that those between the ages of 32 and 49 who sleep less than seven hours a night are significantly more likely to be obese.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: health; medicine; obesity; sleep
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To: motormouth
Have you tried everything under the sun to sleep more normally?

Yuppers. to even include prescrip sleep aids. Still was up and awake in 4 hours. Sure as heck surprised the doc. LOL!

41 posted on 10/10/2005 1:25:33 PM PDT by RadioAstronomer (Senior member of Darwin Central)
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To: RadioAstronomer

Melatonin is supposed to be helpful for normal sleep. It's good for you in general and nonaddictive.

You can get it in any vitamin store. You might consider trying it, if you haven't already, or at least read up on it.


42 posted on 10/10/2005 3:00:37 PM PDT by Pragmatic_View
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To: Pragmatic_View

Been there done that. No help.

Actually, cat naps do ok for me. :-)


43 posted on 10/10/2005 3:27:37 PM PDT by RadioAstronomer (Senior member of Darwin Central)
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To: RadioAstronomer

Ive tried a few different prescription meds. None really worked... Ive just learned to live with it now. :o)

MM


44 posted on 10/10/2005 3:29:23 PM PDT by motormouth (Good Grief!)
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To: Pragmatic_View
Somebody posted this to me earlier in a related subject.
45 posted on 10/10/2005 3:32:46 PM PDT by A CA Guy (God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: Pragmatic_View

46 posted on 10/10/2005 3:33:18 PM PDT by theFIRMbss
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To: theFIRMbss

Very interesting. I didn't realize that books have already been written about the benefits of sleep for your health.


47 posted on 10/10/2005 4:34:03 PM PDT by Pragmatic_View
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To: Pragmatic_View

Question... isn't Melatonin a hormone?


48 posted on 10/10/2005 4:37:55 PM PDT by diamond6 (Everyone who is for abortion has already been born. Ronald Reagan)
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To: FairOpinion

ironic topic, eh?


49 posted on 10/10/2005 7:16:41 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Down with Dhimmicrats! I last updated by FR profile on Sunday, August 14, 2005.)
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To: RadioAstronomer
Actually, cat naps do ok for me. :-)

:-)

50 posted on 10/11/2005 11:38:43 AM PDT by FOG724 (Down with the sickness - Disturbed)
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