It’s that time of year, between Thanksgiving and New Years that our sleep requirements are put to the test. Fatigue is at epidemic levels and more than sixty percent of Americans are experiencing sleep deprivation. The number of airport traffic controllers who in the past year have made the news for falling asleep on the job speaks to this problem.

Sleeping is a working activity of rest for your body and is vital to long-term good health. Brain and body functions stay active throughout sleep. And sleep is tied to a series of brain waves that create electrical activity within the brain. Connected to this activity is the healthy response our body’s cells have to a 24-hour sleep cycle. It is called a circadian rhythm and it is a critical component to overall wellbeing.

Before Thomas Edison’s invention, people relied upon the sun to give us our work and rest hours. Then the light bulb changed that. Today, being in touch with the world 24/7 presents serious challenges for getting quality sleep and keeping fit. With the life we lead today comes more responsibility and demands. There is no natural clock that we follow. We push and push thinking we will catch our rest up on the weekend and, yet, the weekend is packed with soccer, football, shopping for the coming week, laundry, housecleaning and countless household and family responsibilities. This leads to running on adrenalin. The next thing you know, your sleep is the first to go. If I have described you, then ask yourself this, “Do I have a desire to fall on my desk for a mini-power nap on a regular basis?” If the answer is, yes, you are likely sleep deprived.

Attached to this newsletter is my holiday gift to you, a brief guide on Healthy Sleeping. It is a short version of the ebook from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. If you would like the longer version, please email me and I will send it to you. I hope this to be a valuable resource for you and your family as we go into high gear for this holiday season.

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LouAnn Savage is publisher and editor of The Weekly Healthline, an online health and lifestyle publication. Subscribe free at: http://www.HealthFitforLife.com. Look for her at http://www.Savage.TeamAsea.com, She is an Asea distributor that can be followed on twitter @louannsavage and joined on Facebook.com/louannsavage.

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