| Modern researchers tell us that few people sleep | | | | needs! |
| well anymore, however sleep is all important in | | | | 3. The unconscious mind processes the day's |
| having a well-rounded successful and healthy life. | | | | events. This is an important function if you want |
| Good sleep means one's body undergoes all four | | | | to have good mental health and be able to handle |
| sleep cycles to be considered complete--alpha, | | | | stress well. Lack of good quality sleep is an |
| beta, delta, and theta. Furthermore, doctors | | | | attributing factor to depression and some forms |
| advise us to get at least eight hours of this good | | | | of mental illness. One finds serious sleep disorders |
| sleep per night. For various reasons many of us | | | | in untreated people. And let's not forget about the |
| get much less rest than that. (Keep in mind that | | | | importance of dreaming; it is the mechanism |
| sleep is not simply a state of not being awake.) | | | | which allows the unconscious mind to play. |
| "A natural cycle of rest and wakefulness dictates | | | | Medicine considers this is an important brain |
| all sorts of biological functions," says Michael | | | | function and non-dreamers are cheated of this |
| Twery, Ph.D, director of the National Center on | | | | delightful luxury! |
| Sleep Disorders Research in Bethesda, MD. Sleep | | | | 4. As you rest, the body renews its energy |
| loss is associated with" ... (the following): | | | | stores for the next day. We all need to |
| * Heart disease | | | | regenerate new energy reserves thus enabling us |
| * Diabetes | | | | to tackle each day. However, people living with |
| * Cancer | | | | compromised health, unresolved traumas, and |
| * Obesity | | | | extreme tension or those living in unsafe |
| * Depression | | | | environments rarely wake up feeling rested. |
| * Infections | | | | Some only nap and never really sleep at all |
| * Accidents | | | | (especially chronically ill people). People with this |
| *Source: This reference and many others about | | | | problem build larger and larger sleep deficits; they |
| sleep can be found at WebMD©. | | | | never get caught up. If a normal sleep pattern |
| Wikipedia® defines sleep as "the state of | | | | ultimately cannot be restored, a person's health |
| natural rest...a protective mechanism...and also | | | | will continue to decline. When sleep can be |
| necessary for health and survival." Upon close | | | | normalized, this one issue is a valuable aid in total |
| inspection, sleep not only drops our conscious | | | | recovery from illness. |
| mind into a deep state of relaxation and rest, but | | | | Okay. Let's agree that sleep is important from a |
| scores of biochemical mechanisms are busily, yet | | | | normal physical and disease prevention standpoint, |
| quietly functioning inside. A portion of the body is | | | | but does an altered sleep mechanism impact |
| not really at rest, even during the deepest of | | | | other types of health issues? What about people |
| sleeps. | | | | who seem to need extraordinary amounts of |
| What Happens During Sleep? | | | | sleep? |
| 1. Damage to cells, tissues and organs is repaired. | | | | Sleep for Healing |
| Cells do not live forever and those cells which | | | | People who suffer with life-altering illness or who |
| cannot be saved are subject to apoptosis or cell | | | | are recovering from trauma instinctively know |
| death. The body systematically rids you of those | | | | that they need sleep--sometimes, lots of it. Their |
| cells everyday and prepares the body to excrete | | | | bodies require extraordinary amounts of rest to |
| them. This is good and necessary internal | | | | facilitate the healing process. If your body is |
| housekeeping. The body rids itself of unwanted, | | | | fighting infections, if you have compromised organ |
| non-functioning and/or abnormal cells while it | | | | systems or if you're fighting chronic pain, this is |
| aggressively makes new, healthy ones. Sleep is | | | | especially true. When I was ill, I had many more |
| prime time for your body to concentrate on | | | | symptoms than just being sleepy. Even so, at |
| these important changes. | | | | times the only thing that mattered was that I be |
| 2. Substances such as bio-chemicals, blood | | | | allowed to sleep. My health was complicated by |
| products and bone marrow are manufactured | | | | having Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), |
| while you sleep. As the body slows down during | | | | Fibromyalgia (FMS), several viruses and |
| rest, it replenishes these vital, life-sustaining | | | | autoimmune disease symptoms. Weeks went by |
| components. Example: When you catch an | | | | during which I slept sixteen to twenty hours |
| infectious agent and blood components are | | | | every day; other times I could not sleep an hour. |
| needed for the Immune System to combat the | | | | My body remained so weak and painful that I |
| invader, this system of renewal generates | | | | hobbled from room to room. It became a critical |
| necessary immune fighting cells for the body. This | | | | issue to bolster my body with whatever it |
| alleviates your system of trying to fight off the | | | | needed, whatever I could find (legally, ethically, |
| infection from a weakened, sub-standard state. | | | | and morally, of course). With my entire being |
| Your Immune System and every system of the | | | | under such a severe strain, I needed tools (and |
| body must be strong. They get this necessary | | | | instruction-- see ELT below) to rebuild my entire |
| support if your body gets the daily rest that it | | | | being and enable it to get well! |