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The Effects of Lack of Sleep on the Body

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Summary: Lack of sleep can have a multilevel effect on the body, as it can affect the metabolism, glucose levels, insulin levels and stress hormones. Discover how the body may behave like it's constantly under attack when it's not relaxing with help from a psychologist in this free video on the effects of lack of sleep on the body.

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By Robert B. Hernandez
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Robert B. Hernandez, PsyD, received his doctorate in clinical psychology in 2001. Dr. Hernandez's ability to marry cognitive behavioral techniques on an analytical foundation is key in...read more

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Video Transcript

"Hello, my name is Dr. Robert Hernandez. I'm a psychologist in Miami, Florida, and I'm president and owner of La Farfalla Retreat House. When the body doesn't get enough sleep, many things do happen to the body. First of all, metabolism is affected. You have glucose -- levels of glucose, levels of insulin -- that those are affected. Cortisol, which is commonly known as a stress hormone, that's affects also the body, which could contribute to other problems, such as the risk for heart disease. And the other thing that's definitely affected is just overall stress. The body, when it's not relaxing in and of itself can create the issue that it's constantly under attack, whether it's some sense of anxiety that's facing that. And basically, what sleep does is it creates different hormones that bring about a stronger immune system and helps the body relax, and it helps you function much better during the day. So for those of you that feel you need to sleep less to get more accomplished, what you're actually doing is the quality of what you're trying to get accomplished suffers. So getting enough sleep is very important for overall health."

eHow Article: The Effects of Lack of Sleep on the Body

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