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A 2006 Harvard study found that 75% of people had sleep difficulties a few times a week. If tossing and turning is part of your nightly ritual, this may not come as a surprise to you. While occasional insomnia is typically nothing to lose sleep over (pun intended), chronic sleep loss can contribute to various health problems.

Six Reasons To Get Enough Sleep:

1. Disease: Sleep deprivation suppresses the body’s immune functions and may leave you more susceptible to getting sick. Keeping up with sleep may even help with fighting cancer
2. Learning and memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory. Studies conducted showed that people who’d slept after learning a task did better on their tests later.
3. Metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation affects the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, as well as impacting the hormone levels that affect our appetite. All of this may result in weight gain.
4. Safety: A lack of sleep leads to a greater chance of falling asleep during the day. Alarming mistakes such as road accidents, medical errors, and air traffic mishaps, can all be attributed to sleep deprivation.
5. Mood: A loss of sleep may lead to moodiness, irritability, impatience, and inability to concentrate. Lack of sleep may also leave you without the energy for the activities that make you happy.
6. Cardiovascular health: Studies have linked hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and an irregular heartbeat to serious sleep loss.

Epstein, L. (2010). Improving sleep: a guide to a good night’s rest. Boston: Harvard Health Publications.

Excited about the newest snow storm headed our way? Neither are we. Despite our attitude, the snow will pile up and need to be shoveled. But did you know that shoveling snow leads to more than 11,000 adults and children being sent to the hospital every year?

Here are 5 tips to ensure safer shoveling.

1. Monitor yourself: Notice if you experience any  pain, shortness of breath or otherwise alarming symptoms. Shoveling may become dangerous for those who are not physically fit since it can cause a sudden increase in blood pressure and heart rate that could potentially lead to a heart attack.
2. Time for a new shovel? Adapting a shovel so that the pole is longer, adjustable, and curved can decrease the amount of bending needed, researchers say. Studies have shown that curved-shaft shovels can help lower your risk of muscle injury. More user-friendly shovels are becoming available and are typically made of lighter materials such as plastic or lightweight aluminum.
3. Don’t throw snow. The twisting motion of throwing snow over your shoulder or to the side can hurt your back. Try pushing the snow out of the way instead of lifting it up.
4.  Take your time. You might want to warm up with some light exercise first. Pacing yourself and taking frequent breaks is also a smart bet.
5. Watch those kids. As tempting as it might be to let the kids do the hard work, be careful that they know shovels are not toys and be careful not to hurt anyone with it.