12/16/10

The Power of Rest: Why Sleep Alone is Not Enough

Dr. Matthew Edlund

Show Description:
3-4 pm PST

The Power of Rest: Why Sleep Alone is Not Enough
with Dr. Matthew Edlund

Edlund is an award-winning, internationally recognized expert on rest, circadian rhythms says, in his book, that Americans are dangerously rest-deprives and more sleep isn’t the answer. He dispels some common myths about rest and sleep:

Myth #1 – Sleep is the same for men and women – False! As we age, the percentage of deep sleep declines for both sexes but far more in men than in women. By their mid-60s, many healthy men may not experience any deep sleep at all.
Myth #2 – Other than counting sheep or taking prescription sleeping pills, there’s not much you can do to combat difficulty sleeping. Some people are just insomniacs. False! There are many techniques that can help with nighttime sleep, such as cognitive therapy exercises directing your brain to focus on solutions, not problems, a hot bath, and more.
Myth #3 – Naps are disruptive to your sleep schedule; it’s much better to sleep only at night – False! Though you should strive to go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every day, for more people brief daytime naps won’t interfere with nighttime sleep schedules. Sleep can be naturally performed two or three times during the day. Short periods of daytime sleep – even as short as a 6-minute nap – have been proven to improve memory and concentration. Weekend afternoon naps of up to 1 hour can often compensate for chronic sleep deprivation during the work week.
Myth #4 – Anything more than the bare minimum of nighttime sleep is a waste of time. The body can go without sleep when necessary – False! Rest is how the body rebuilds, rewires and renews and is necessary for basic brain and body function. Rest is look food; the body cannot live without it and it is a crucial element of health. Partial sleep deprivation rapidly deranges glucose metabolism. That’s why night-shift workers and others who never get enough sleep have intense sugar cravings. Sleep helps toward preventing major clinical depression, helps prevent arterial plaque, the basis of most heart attacks and strokes and helps fight off bacteria and viruses.

http://www.therestdoctor.com

Guest Bio:
Dr. Matthew Edlund, M.D., M.O.H., is The Rest Doctor (@therestdoctor.com,) and Director of the Center for Circadian Medicine in Sarasota, Florida. A former professor at Brown and the University of Texas Medical Schools and an internationally recognized expert on sleep and biological clocks, his clinical and research work led him to recognize that rest is Regeneration, the way the body rebuilds, renews, and rewires itself. Rest is critical to health, survival, pleasure and performance. It is powerfully influenced by what we do, including the active rest techniques developed by Dr. Edlund, and the thousands of different rest techniques civilizations have created through the ages to refresh and renew body and spirit. Active Rest can be done rapidly anywhere, anytime, and can advance health by setting a rhythm to one's day and life.

Dr. Edlund's previous books include Designed to Last, The Body Clock Advantage, and Psycholgical and Mental Illness. He invites everyone to join the Rest Community on Facebook, so that others can describe the rest techniques they use to enjoy their lives.