As Seen in Readers Digest

As you probably know, PATHS offers 5 option levels of the Free Sleep Module in order to best suit your personal sleeping needs (Read about them here). As you may also know, we are pretty vocal about how important sleep is in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Sleep is when your body heals itself, produces many hormones necessary for well-being such as Human Growth Hormone, and so on.

In true PATHS fashion, the Readers Digest has published a wonderful article in this months issue entitled "The Magic Power of Sleep".

Below we have highlighted some of the main points from their 6-page article.

The Magic Power of Sleep ~ How it makes you happier, healthier, sexier, even thinner.

Magic Power #1. Live longer and healthier

"The link between sleep and health and bad sleep and disease are becoming clearer and clearer," says Lawrence Epstein, MD, author of The Harvard Medical School Guide to a Good Night's Sleep. For example, sleep duration has declined from a median of eight hours in the 1950s to seven in recent years. At the same time, high blood pressure has become an increasing problem. Blood pressure and heart rate are typically at their lowest levels during sleep; people who sleep less tend to have higher blood pressure. The association between hypertension and sleep duration could explain other research findings linking lack of sleep to increased risk of heart attack, diabetes, weight gain and other problems.

Magic Power #2. Look Better, Feel Better

One of the reasons may be growth hormones. They're essential to keeping us looking good as we get older. Levels of the hormone drop dramatically between the ages of 20 and 60, says heart surgeon Mehmet C. Oz, MD, coauthor of the You health books. "Growth hormones are rejuvenating," he says. "When you have high levels of the hormone, you have muscle mass, better skin-you look sexy. You want to keep your growth hormones as high as possible, and the number one best way to do that is sleep." When you don't look good, you don't feel sexy, and your relationship can suffer. So getting more sleep can rev up your love life too.

Magic Power #3. Be Happier, Less Stressed

People who don't sleep get depressed, and depression causes insomnia, so it's a vicious cycle," says Dr. Oz. "But we know the inverse is true: that more and better sleep can make you feel happier

Magic Power #4. Build a Better Brain

"Not only does sleep deprivation lead to poor health, it also affects concentration, problem-solving skills, memory and mood. "Anything that disturbs the quality and quantity of sleep can have long-term consequences for both body and mind", says Gerard T. Lombardo, MD, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn.

Magic Power #5. Lose a Few Pounds

Inadequate sleep lowers levels of leptin, the hormone that causes you to feel full, while increasing levels of ghrelin, the hormone that makes you feel hungry.

"What's also fascinating," notes Breus, "is that sleep deprivation influences your food choices, making you crave high-carb and high-sugar foods." This is because sleep loss decreases insulin sensitivity, putting the sleep-deprived at higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes. So sleep more and it may be easier to fight that cookie craving, and wake up a whole new you.

If you are having trouble sleeping, or have questions about your Sleep Module, this is a great link!

If you have any further questions, you can email us at info@paths-vx.com and we will do what we can to ensure you are getting the most out of your Sleep!