Sleep that knits up the raveled sleeve of care~Shakespeare

Isaiah Dreaming photograph©08

" Exercise offers many other mental benefits:

Reduces stress by helping to dissipate the lactic acid that accumulates in your blood

Sharpens your brain by increasing the amount of oxygen available

Eases built-up muscular tension

Strengthens and stimulates your heart and lungs

Stimulates your nervous system

Increases your production of endorphins- those little substances which create a sense of well-being and increase your body's resistance to pain

Stimulates release of epinephrine, a hormone that creates a sense of happiness and excitement

Increases deep sleep, as the brain compensates for physical stress

Moderate exercise lasting 20 to 30 minutes three or four times a week generally results in better sleep and more energy. You may have to find your own exercise rhythm-- some people can exercise any time, while others do better if they work out in the morning or afternoon, not near bedtime. But, vigorous exercise during the day and mild exercise before bedtime will not only help you fall asleep and stay asleep more easily, but will increase the amount of time you spend in deepest sleep phase (Stage 4 sleep).

In fact, in a study on sleep patterns of adults aged 55 to 75 who were sedentary and troubled by insomnia, exercise was shown to play a key role. Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine asked these adults to exercise 20 to 30 minutes every other day in the afternoon by walking, engaging in low-impact aerobics, and riding a stationary bicycle. The result? Time required to fall asleep was reduced by half, and total sleep time increased by almost one hour.

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