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First off, let me disclose that I hate going to sleep.
Life is WAY TO EXCITING to waste time sleeping!
This has been my experience/mindset since as early as I can remember...Even in kindergarten I remember "nap time" being so boring...there were way too many interesting things to do than spend time sleeping.
However, I was always in a "catch-22", if I did not get enough sleep I would be tired and many times get a headache.
One of my attempts to spend as little time sleeping, and still have energy (and avoid headaches) was to purchase a flotation tank. I did this 8 years ago and I can get better than "8 hours sleep" in 5.5 hours in the tank.
I did this for many years, but for the last 2 years have not had the tank set up due to the space constraints in our current home.
(I am planning on getting it set back up this fall)
However, it was not until my exposure to PATHS that I really began to understand how VERY IMPORTANT SLEEP is to our complete health AND length & quality of life!
I know that the following copy and paste from the PATHS website is somewhat long, but it is chock full of IMPORTANT information that DOES HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT on QUALITY and LONGEVITY of Life.
What amazed me in my learning curve regarding sleep, is how we are biologically programmed to experience an ongoing degradation in our physical bodies, even as we gain wisdom and experience that enables us to mentally, emotionally and spiritually enjoy life to a fuller extent.
Remember the fable of the sphynx? What a cruel twist of biology...or is it a curse?
In any case, the primary lesson learned is that if we let age take its' natural course, we end up producing less and less growth hormone, resulting in eventual "old age", with all the accompanying ailments.
This, to me, is unacceptable. Also, unacceptable to me is any kind of "outside" supplementation of growth hormone substitutes.
This leaves only the option of making sure my body continues to produce growth hormone at levels that are at the same as they were in my 20's.
So, while life is exciting, and I do not want to waste a moment of it, I have come to accept that it is VERY IMPORTANT to get enough sleep each night, and to make sure that the quality of that sleep is such that it produces growth hormone at levels that maintain optimum functioning of my body, rather than the naturally deteriorating process that occurs with age.
To date I have observed that my cooperation (scheduling 8 hours sleep a night and actually following it) with the PATHS Sleep Module is the best anti-aging tool available.
ADDITIONALLY, there are many other benefits to getting enough sleep...strong immune functions, etc.
DON'T settle for less than 8 hours sleep a night, even if it "seems" your body needs less as you grow older!!! (seeming to need less sleep is just a trick that accelerates the aging process if one falls for it)
Click on this Good Link! to learn about the different options with the PATHS Sleep Module.
The Importance of Deep Restful Sleep
The Sleep Module is at the foundation of the PATHS program. Every package automatically has the Sleep Module built into it. This module is free with every order.
There are hundreds of studies that have been done on sleep in relationship to mental, physical and emotional health. Thousands upon thousands of pages are readily available on this subject on the internet. (included below are just a few excerpts)
A few important issues to know are:
1. As we grow older we sleep less, and the sleep we get is not as restful.
2. Growth Hormone, that is naturally secreted throughout our lives-and needed to stay alive, is primarily secreted during deep sleep…with less deep sleep there is less growth hormone, and we see the effects of "age".
3. During deep sleep is when our immune system does most of its work….less deep sleep = weaker immune system.
4. During restful sleep melatonin is produced (yes you can take a melatonin supplement, but it is not nearly as effective as your own bodies melatonin). Melatonin is essential for healthy skin.
5. During restful sleep all the cleaning organs are operating at optimum. One of the reasons for feeling sluggish and a lack of energy during the day is from them not being able to do their job at night because of a lack of deep restful sleep.
There are hundreds of more reasons our bodies need a deep restful sleep ~ Quality sleep is one of the building blocks for well-rounded health!
Deep Sleep: The Great Anti-Aging Rejuvenator
Men as young as 35 are already showing their age, according to a new study finding that changing sleep patterns in midlife could be costing men as much as 75 percent of a hormone known to prevent aging, namely growth hormone.
Previous studies have focused on growth hormone deficiencies in older men and women. Low growth hormone, low testosterone (in males) and high insulin are all associated with increased central obesity (pot belly), loss of muscle mass and reduced exercise capacity. The ratio of the waist to the hip is a basic health and longevity biomarker, excellent being 8 to 10 ratio. But finding that human growth hormone (Hgh) decrease starts when men are in their 30s was unexpected, says Eve Van Cauter, professor of medicine at the University of Chicago and lead author of the study.
"The rest of your days depend upon the rest of your nights."
Life plays out in rhythms and the regeneration that happens during deep and restorative sleep is required for health and vitality. Play and live hard, drive towards goals on a daily basis with passion but, at the end of the day, relax and reflect in preparation for the balm of sleep. Hormonal storms resolve in sleep; biochemical fires extinguish in sleep; acid-base imbalances correct in sleep and the liver cleans house in sleep. Don't short-change yourself this nightly opportunity to recharge and replenish. An anti-aging protocol offered without consideration to sleep hygiene is as futile as trying to drive across the country on one tank of gas.
Dr. Perricone on Sleep, the Rejuvenation Hours:
A good night's sleep can make you look radiant and youthful. And doesn't the world look better, too? A look in the mirror shows that your face does not have as many lines as it would without enough rest. There is decreased puffiness around the eyes, and you have a radiance that only comes with good health. Getting enough sleep is critical to the anti-aging regimen because while you sleep, your cells undergo a process of repair. When we look at hormone parameters from sleep, we find that sleep turns down the negative effects of cortisol and the bad neurotransmitters, like epinephrine and norepinephrine, that can be elevated during stress. Growth hormone is released during sleep-and growth hormone is the youth hormone.
A good night's sleep will enhance your cognitive ability. The day after a good night's sleep, you can think, problem-solve and remember far better than after those sleepless nights. During sleep, your body releases a hormone called melatonin, which has positive effects on your skin and your immune system.
Lack of Sleep Affects Hormones
The changes in sleep quality that often come with age seem to trigger shifts in the endocrine system, altering hormone levels and metabolism. Researchers say that this study shows that a good night's sleep may be a natural form of hormone therapy, particularly for older adults.
* Researchers studied 149 men, aged 16 to 83, and found that age-related changes in sleep quality were linked to specific changes in several hormones. As sleep quality and quantity declined levels of the adrenal hormone cortisol increased, while levels of Growth Hormone (GH) declined.
* After the age of 25, men experience a decline in deep sleep that accompanied by a drop in GH production. GH deficiency is related to reduced muscle mass and strength, increased fat tissue, weakened immunity to infection, and other health declines.
* In later years, a new sleep pattern emerges, in which men get less sleep overall and levels of cortisol go up. Elevated cortisol may underlie a host of mental and metabolic problems, including memory loss and insulin resistance -- a precursor to diabetes.
The lower quality of sleep that the aging men experienced was evident though the measurement of several parameters.
* The average percentage of time spent in deep slow wave sleep decreased from 18.9% during early adulthood (age 16-25 years) to 3.4% during mid-life (age 36-50 years).
* This lost deep sleep was replaced by lighter sleep (stages 1 and 2) without other significant changes.
* The transition from mid-life to late life (age 71-83 years) involved no further significant decrease in deep slow wave sleep but an increase in time awake of 28 minutes per decade at the expense of decreases in both light non-REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and REM sleep.
These sleep pattern changes accompanied some changes in hormonal activity.
* The decline in slow wave sleep from early adulthood to mid-life was paralleled by a major decline in GH secretion (-372 µg per decade).
* From mid-life to late life, GH secretion further declined at a slower rate (-43 µg per decade).
* Independently of age, the amount of GH secretion was significantly associated with slow wave sleep.
* Increasing age was associated with an elevation of evening cortisol levels (+19.3 nmol/L per decade) that became significant only after age 50 years, when sleep became more fragmented and REM sleep declined.
Life is WAY TO EXCITING to waste time sleeping!
This has been my experience/mindset since as early as I can remember...Even in kindergarten I remember "nap time" being so boring...there were way too many interesting things to do than spend time sleeping.
However, I was always in a "catch-22", if I did not get enough sleep I would be tired and many times get a headache.
One of my attempts to spend as little time sleeping, and still have energy (and avoid headaches) was to purchase a flotation tank. I did this 8 years ago and I can get better than "8 hours sleep" in 5.5 hours in the tank.
I did this for many years, but for the last 2 years have not had the tank set up due to the space constraints in our current home.
(I am planning on getting it set back up this fall)
However, it was not until my exposure to PATHS that I really began to understand how VERY IMPORTANT SLEEP is to our complete health AND length & quality of life!
I know that the following copy and paste from the PATHS website is somewhat long, but it is chock full of IMPORTANT information that DOES HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT on QUALITY and LONGEVITY of Life.
What amazed me in my learning curve regarding sleep, is how we are biologically programmed to experience an ongoing degradation in our physical bodies, even as we gain wisdom and experience that enables us to mentally, emotionally and spiritually enjoy life to a fuller extent.
Remember the fable of the sphynx? What a cruel twist of biology...or is it a curse?
In any case, the primary lesson learned is that if we let age take its' natural course, we end up producing less and less growth hormone, resulting in eventual "old age", with all the accompanying ailments.
This, to me, is unacceptable. Also, unacceptable to me is any kind of "outside" supplementation of growth hormone substitutes.
This leaves only the option of making sure my body continues to produce growth hormone at levels that are at the same as they were in my 20's.
So, while life is exciting, and I do not want to waste a moment of it, I have come to accept that it is VERY IMPORTANT to get enough sleep each night, and to make sure that the quality of that sleep is such that it produces growth hormone at levels that maintain optimum functioning of my body, rather than the naturally deteriorating process that occurs with age.
To date I have observed that my cooperation (scheduling 8 hours sleep a night and actually following it) with the PATHS Sleep Module is the best anti-aging tool available.
ADDITIONALLY, there are many other benefits to getting enough sleep...strong immune functions, etc.
DON'T settle for less than 8 hours sleep a night, even if it "seems" your body needs less as you grow older!!! (seeming to need less sleep is just a trick that accelerates the aging process if one falls for it)
Click on this Good Link! to learn about the different options with the PATHS Sleep Module.
The Importance of Deep Restful Sleep
The Sleep Module is at the foundation of the PATHS program. Every package automatically has the Sleep Module built into it. This module is free with every order.
There are hundreds of studies that have been done on sleep in relationship to mental, physical and emotional health. Thousands upon thousands of pages are readily available on this subject on the internet. (included below are just a few excerpts)
A few important issues to know are:
1. As we grow older we sleep less, and the sleep we get is not as restful.
2. Growth Hormone, that is naturally secreted throughout our lives-and needed to stay alive, is primarily secreted during deep sleep…with less deep sleep there is less growth hormone, and we see the effects of "age".
3. During deep sleep is when our immune system does most of its work….less deep sleep = weaker immune system.
4. During restful sleep melatonin is produced (yes you can take a melatonin supplement, but it is not nearly as effective as your own bodies melatonin). Melatonin is essential for healthy skin.
5. During restful sleep all the cleaning organs are operating at optimum. One of the reasons for feeling sluggish and a lack of energy during the day is from them not being able to do their job at night because of a lack of deep restful sleep.
There are hundreds of more reasons our bodies need a deep restful sleep ~ Quality sleep is one of the building blocks for well-rounded health!
Deep Sleep: The Great Anti-Aging Rejuvenator
Men as young as 35 are already showing their age, according to a new study finding that changing sleep patterns in midlife could be costing men as much as 75 percent of a hormone known to prevent aging, namely growth hormone.
Previous studies have focused on growth hormone deficiencies in older men and women. Low growth hormone, low testosterone (in males) and high insulin are all associated with increased central obesity (pot belly), loss of muscle mass and reduced exercise capacity. The ratio of the waist to the hip is a basic health and longevity biomarker, excellent being 8 to 10 ratio. But finding that human growth hormone (Hgh) decrease starts when men are in their 30s was unexpected, says Eve Van Cauter, professor of medicine at the University of Chicago and lead author of the study.
"The rest of your days depend upon the rest of your nights."
Life plays out in rhythms and the regeneration that happens during deep and restorative sleep is required for health and vitality. Play and live hard, drive towards goals on a daily basis with passion but, at the end of the day, relax and reflect in preparation for the balm of sleep. Hormonal storms resolve in sleep; biochemical fires extinguish in sleep; acid-base imbalances correct in sleep and the liver cleans house in sleep. Don't short-change yourself this nightly opportunity to recharge and replenish. An anti-aging protocol offered without consideration to sleep hygiene is as futile as trying to drive across the country on one tank of gas.
Dr. Perricone on Sleep, the Rejuvenation Hours:
A good night's sleep can make you look radiant and youthful. And doesn't the world look better, too? A look in the mirror shows that your face does not have as many lines as it would without enough rest. There is decreased puffiness around the eyes, and you have a radiance that only comes with good health. Getting enough sleep is critical to the anti-aging regimen because while you sleep, your cells undergo a process of repair. When we look at hormone parameters from sleep, we find that sleep turns down the negative effects of cortisol and the bad neurotransmitters, like epinephrine and norepinephrine, that can be elevated during stress. Growth hormone is released during sleep-and growth hormone is the youth hormone.
A good night's sleep will enhance your cognitive ability. The day after a good night's sleep, you can think, problem-solve and remember far better than after those sleepless nights. During sleep, your body releases a hormone called melatonin, which has positive effects on your skin and your immune system.
Lack of Sleep Affects Hormones
The changes in sleep quality that often come with age seem to trigger shifts in the endocrine system, altering hormone levels and metabolism. Researchers say that this study shows that a good night's sleep may be a natural form of hormone therapy, particularly for older adults.
* Researchers studied 149 men, aged 16 to 83, and found that age-related changes in sleep quality were linked to specific changes in several hormones. As sleep quality and quantity declined levels of the adrenal hormone cortisol increased, while levels of Growth Hormone (GH) declined.
* After the age of 25, men experience a decline in deep sleep that accompanied by a drop in GH production. GH deficiency is related to reduced muscle mass and strength, increased fat tissue, weakened immunity to infection, and other health declines.
* In later years, a new sleep pattern emerges, in which men get less sleep overall and levels of cortisol go up. Elevated cortisol may underlie a host of mental and metabolic problems, including memory loss and insulin resistance -- a precursor to diabetes.
The lower quality of sleep that the aging men experienced was evident though the measurement of several parameters.
* The average percentage of time spent in deep slow wave sleep decreased from 18.9% during early adulthood (age 16-25 years) to 3.4% during mid-life (age 36-50 years).
* This lost deep sleep was replaced by lighter sleep (stages 1 and 2) without other significant changes.
* The transition from mid-life to late life (age 71-83 years) involved no further significant decrease in deep slow wave sleep but an increase in time awake of 28 minutes per decade at the expense of decreases in both light non-REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and REM sleep.
These sleep pattern changes accompanied some changes in hormonal activity.
* The decline in slow wave sleep from early adulthood to mid-life was paralleled by a major decline in GH secretion (-372 µg per decade).
* From mid-life to late life, GH secretion further declined at a slower rate (-43 µg per decade).
* Independently of age, the amount of GH secretion was significantly associated with slow wave sleep.
* Increasing age was associated with an elevation of evening cortisol levels (+19.3 nmol/L per decade) that became significant only after age 50 years, when sleep became more fragmented and REM sleep declined.
I clicked on the link in your post tonight and learned that there ARE deeper levels. 
I place a very high priority on sleep. Lack of sufficient sleep has effects that people would never connect with it!!
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