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Science & The Spirit
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THE "REST" OF THE STORY
Health Helps Part 10
By Dane and Vicki Griffin
Is getting to bed on time on your list of important things to do
each day? If not, burning the midnight oil may be burning you
out—in more ways than one! Michael Irwin, a psychiatrist,
studied 23 healthy men who each spent four nights in a sleep
laboratory. He found that when the men did not get enough sleep,
their immune function dropped by 30%! When the men returned to
normal sleep patterns, their immune systems also returned to
normal. What a reminder that God made the beasts to go out after
dark—not man!1
Early to bed, early to rise
Is it true that being early to bed and early to rise makes a man
healthy, wealthy, and wise? Even though this saying is not in
the Bible, our Creator did say something similar: “The sun
ariseth. . . . Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour
until the evening.”2 But what happens when this is put to the
scientific test? Dr. Thomas Weir from the National Institute of
Mental Health has been doing just that. So far, his studies have
shown something quite interesting: It seems that those who sleep
in a “dusktodawn” pattern have higher levels of melatonin
than those with late bedtimes and risings. Melatonin is a
hormone that seems to have an important role in the regulation
of sleep, mood, puberty, and ovarian cycles. People with low
melatonin tend to suffer from chronic fatigue, insomnia, jet
lag, and depression. They are also more prone to suicide.
Sealed instructions
The book of Job tells us, “When deep sleep falleth upon men,
in slumberings upon the bed; Then He openeth the ears of men,
and sealeth their instruction.”3 Scientific research now shows
how true this is: During deep sleep before the hours of
midnight, the information we learned during the day is
transferred from our short-term memory bank in the hippocampus
to the permanent storage area of the brain. In fact, a study
published in Science magazine showed that we actually absorb
knowledge about recently-learned skills while we are sleeping!
As the authors put it, “We and others have found that an
improvement in perceptual performance occurs neither during or
immediately after practice of a procedure, but rather eight to
ten hours after a training session has ended.”4
Remember the fabulous four
On the average, Americans get 20% less sleep than they did a
century ago. Don’t cheat yourself out of sleep! Instead,
remember the four essentials of good sleep habits:
• Quantity. Do you want good immune function, a body that
quickly repairs itself, a healthy nervous system, and balanced
hormones? Then make sure you get eight to nine hours of sleep
every night.
• Regularity. Decide on a regular time to go to bed and get up,
and stick to your schedule. This helps your body establish
regular biorhythms. Your reward will be hormones that stay in
line and a lower risk of cancer.
• Timing. Consider an early-to-bed, early-to-rise routine.
You’ll be in a more pleasant mood, your health will be better,
and you’ll find it easier to learn. If you’re still growing,
your development will be more normal.
• Quality. Did you ever sleep a long time and still wake up
tired? Several things can interfere with good-quality sleep.
Eating late, lack of exercise, and the use of caffeine and other
drugs can seriously damage the quality of sleep. Many
prescription drugs, including sleeping pills and
antidepressants, can also cause sleep problems. Other
sleep-wreckers include stress, television, harsh music, and
bright lights.
Make it a priority
Your Creator understands your need for sleep, and He will help
you plan it into your life. After all, Jesus told his weary
disciples, “Come ye yourselves apart . . . and rest a
while.”5 Don’t delay—make sure you have plenty of
refreshing, restoring rest.
Part 1
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4
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| 7
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10
| 11 | 12
| 13 | 14
| 15 | 16
| 17 | 18
| 19 | 20
Copyright © LifeStyle Matters, Inc.
1. Psalm 104:20.
2. Psalm 104:22, 23.
3. Job 33:15, 16.
4. Science, July, 1994.
5. Mark 6:31.
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