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Tuesday, June 18, 2013

HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE


Photo by Alan Cleaver
How a Good Night’s Sleep Produces Energy for the Next Day

We all know that it’s important to get a good night’s sleep in order to function well the next day, but do you know what happens in your body when you sleep to produce energy for the next day? It’s all about the cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that supplies the body with energy. It builds up while the body sleeps, then releases throughout the day. If your body doesn’t produce enough coritsol at night because you’re not getting enough sleep, you run out of energy during the day.

Since you only have a limited amount of cortisol each day, you want to make sure you don’t use it up too quickly. If your alarm clock jerks you awake with loud, blaring noise, you’re using up precious cortisol before you even get out of bed. Consider waking up to music or gentle sounds that slowly bring you out of REM sleep. This will help you maintain your cortisol levels throughout the day.

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