Sleep as important as diet and exercise for good health

Although you may think getting the right amount of sleep isn't that important, it is. Actually, good sleep habits are a big part of staying healthy.
While you're sleeping, your brain is still active. As you sleep, your brain passes through stages that are necessary for you to stay healthy. Sleep is actually food for your brain. About every 90 minutes while you snooze, your brain passes through four stages of sleep - from light to deep - then moves into one of the most important stages of sleep, known as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is believed to be important in learning and memory.

As sleep progresses, your brain spends more and more time in REM stage, from about 10 minutes during the first cycle to over an hour at the end of 8 or 9 hours of sleep. So if you sleep for only 6 hours a night, and you use weekends to catch up, you may not get the same quality of sleep you would have if you tacked on an extra 2 hours each night during the week.

Sleep as important as diet and exercise for good health - The News Argus - Health & Fitness