Getting a good night’s sleep is fundamental to our health and wellbeing. While we sleep, our bodies are regenerating and healing tissues, metabolizing fat, normalizing blood sugar and balancing hormones. Restful sleep helps with concentration and memory, decreased stress, improved immune function, balanced moods and, of course, and increased energy. In a culture that celebrates getting things done, we often sacrifice sleep in order to achieve more in a day. Parents with kids often stay up hours after their kids go to bed to enjoy quiet time or check one more thing off the to-do list. Sacrificing sleep in these ways is actually counterproductive to your health and can lead to longer term issues down the road.

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According to Matthew Walker, the author of Why We Sleep, “The shorter you sleep the shorter your lifespan.” In his book he discusses the role of lack of sleep and it’s contribution to diseases such as heart disease, dementia, diabetes, cancer and obesity. Check out this fascinating podcast with Chris Kressor and Matthew Walker on WHY WE NEED SLEEP HERE.