Sleep is essential for a person’s health and well-being. It is one of the major components of fitness. Yet sleep remains the forgotten component of fitness. We should never underestimate how important adequate sleep is in relation to good fitness. Insufficient sleep increases ones vulnerability to illness, accidents, irritability, conflict, and depression.

Researchers recommend about 7 – 8 hours of sleep daily to maintain good health. Everyone’s individual sleep needs vary. Some people need a great deal of sleep, while others require only a minimum amount of sleep. Any individual should be able to get the amount of sleep necessary to feel alert, healthy, and totally fit. In general, babies sleep about 14-15 hours, while adults need only 7-8 hours each night. Most kids between the ages of 6 and 12 need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep. Some kids might need more and some may need less.

During sleep our body is restored and renewed and a good deep sleep helps to increase the levels of important human growth hormone that is important for the maintenance and repair of our muscles. Yawning, rubbing eyes, even falling asleep at work or school are sure signs of missing a major component of fitness – sleep.

What happens when your body gets too much or too little sleep?

The brain causes stress on the body and you become easily irritated and grumpy. Adequate sleep gives your brain a chance to sort things out. It is believed that while you sleep the brain gets enough time to sort and store information, replace chemicals or correct imbalances, and solve problems in the body.

Few reasons why you should not scrimp on sleep:

• Metabolism & Weight – Lack of sleep has been linked to obesity. Researchers suggest that chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.