1. Sleep is a form of recovery to ensure optimal performance in both cognitive and psychomotor tasks.

2. More than HALF of American teens and adults say they experience sleep problems almost every night.

3. 88% of women report sleeping issues.

4. “Short sleep,” experienced by 1 in 5 Americans (20%), is defined as getting less than 6 hours per night, which causes “sleep debt” which cannot be “made up” for with longer periods of sleep (such as on weekends). Short sleep reduces the number of functioning immune cells, thereby increasing your risk of disease. The CDC links short sleep to type II diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and obesity; and increases risk for traumatic injuries.

5. Just ONE NIGHT of sleep deprivation can spike blood sugar levels comparable to 6 months of eating junk food, regardless of a healthy diet!

6. Physical repair of the body occurs between 10:00 PM and 2:00 AM ONLY. Bedtimes later than 10 PM or waking during this window and not getting back to sleep means the opportunity for this type of repair is shortened or lost entirely.

7. Psychological repair of the body occurs between 2:00 AM and 6:00 AM ONLY. Disrupted sleep during these hours means the opportunity for this type of repair is shortened or lost entirely. Awakening during these hours is responsible for “fog brain,” forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, and irritability.

8. A chronically disrupted sleep cycle can lead to adrenal fatigue, which in turn can lead to increased cortisol (the “stress” hormone), causing fat storage, and a decreased immune system.

9. Everything that you’ve heard before is true. EMF’s (electromagnetic frequencies), really do interfere with sleep cycles so turn off your phone or put it in another room before bed; blue light does stimulate the nervous system and represses melatonin, the “sleep hormone; and a cool dark room helps by lowering your body’s basal temperature and encourages melatonin production.

10. Naps (10-20 minutes - no longer!) have been shown to be very restorative if timed right. Increased productivity, enhanced mood and learning, and lower blood pressure have all been linked to naps of this duration. 11:00 AM or 2:00 PM are the best times as they work well with natural circadian rhythms.