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From DestinationSpaVacations Health Canyon Ranch (Massachusetts) Researchers at Stanford talked seven college football players into committing to 10 hours a night, and documented that they got it most nights for several months. At the end of that time, the players reported feeling less tired and had improved their performance on a number of physical measures. Most impressively, they had taken an average of a tenth of a second off their times in the 40-yard dash. As one commentator noted, a tenth of a second is hugely significant to an elite athlete, and it appears that the improvement was fully attributable to extra rest. Many of the good effects of adequate sleep are subjective and hard to measure; nothing could be more exactly quantifiable, though, than running times. Another study - of small children beginning in babyhood - found that children in households with set bedtimes and well-established evening routines did six to seven percent better on pre-reading and pre-math skills tests than children whose bedtimes were casual. In addition, lack of adequate sleep or poor sleep is strongly associated with attention deficit disorder - tired children are jittery children who can't concentrate. In our over-revved, late-night culture, it's important to note that there is no known substitute for sleep - and the military has poured untold millions into trying to find one. Humans can successfully adapt to many less-than-optimal conditions, but not to prolonged sleep deprivation -sleep, like exercise, is a non-negotiable necessity for health and longevity. So whether you aspire to play in the NFL or just do well in kindergarten, the moral is the same - turn off the TV or computer and get to bed on time. www.canyonranch.com © Copyright 2010 |
