An extra hour of sleep increases healthy gene expression

The BBC recently conducted a short study to assess the health effects of an extra hour of sleep. The article is well worth reading. Two high points: During deep sleep memories are consolidated and moved into long-term storage. This consolidation must take place within 24 hours or the memories are lost. This is why it is important to prioritize adequate sleep during times when you are learning new things (e.g. finals week, the first few months in a new job, etc.) The REM sleep phase is the only time, day or night, when the body stops producing... [Read more...]