In 2002, a poll done by the National Sleep Foundation found that thirty percent of adults got at least eight hours of sleep on weeknights, and fifty-two percent got at least eight hours on weekends. Our culture has become so sleep deprived that it is now more accepted to pump your body full of drugs and stimulants that to take a twenty minute power nap. Despite increasing reports telling us to sleep more, it seems that we perceive folks that attempt to get plenty of rest as weak, or at least weaker. We take pride in our ability to deprive our bodies of rest and rejuvination, and gloat in the accomplishments we make in all that extra time. But how long will we be able to get away with cheating our bodies... and will there be a price to pay?

Most people know about the role quality (and quantity) sleep plays on increased cognitive function, but that is not the only benefits we attain by allowing ourselves this precious time of rest. More studies are coming to light that reveal that sleep deprivation can and will aid in weight gain. In fact, seventy-seven percent of older adults who are classified as overweight or obese also report sleep problems. It seems that our hormone levels and metabolic rates are greatly affected by the amount of our sleep: in fact, one recent study revealed that long-term, partial sleep deprivation leads to hormonal and metabolic changes that mimic the effects of aging. Mind you, that was only partial-sleep deprivation, such as an hour less sleep than recommended--imagine the effects of massive sleep deprivation!

But what may come as a surprise is the fact that the amound of sleep we get can partially determine our ability to lose weight and keep it off. Common sense tells us that when we are in a tired state, our bodies lack energy to do everyday functions (of course we've noticed that--that's why Starbucks is so popular!), but one of these everyday functions that is impaired is the ability to burn calories. Sooo . . . our metabolism slows because our bodies are too tired to efficiently process the calories and food that we consume. Not only that, but our "motivated" sleep deprivation increases the level of the stress hormone cortisol which makes us feel hungry even when we are adequately fed. The slightly ironic side of this is that many people can't sleep because they're stressed, and then they're stressed because they can't sleep.

The University of Chicago did a study and found that people who got four hours of sleep or less per night had more difficulty processing carbohydrates. Interestingly, sleep deprivation also decreases our ability to efficiently and properly regulate blood sugar levels, resulting in symptoms that resemble type-2 diabetes. Could our lack of sleep also be a cause in the growing number of diabetes cases? It seems that sleep does more than just rests and repairs cells.

Some unfortunate individuals just can't sleep, though; however, a few simple changes may go a long way towards paying off our sleep debt. Exercise is always on the list, but a few more creative tips may be what is needed. Avoid drinking fluids before bed to decrease your chances of having to get up, and if you do get up don't turn on the bathroom light. That will stop the secretion of melatonin for the whole night. Also try not to use loud alarm clocks--that rude jarring out of sleep feeling is not the best way get your body moving. There is actually a clock made to mimic a sunrise: it's domed-top gradually increases in light until you turn it off. Of course, that won't work until you're fully rested every night, but it is a good natural way to wake up. One other way to help induce sleep is to eat a high-protein snack and a piece of fruit several hours before bed to help release amino acids that aid in the onset of sleepiness.

Getting sufficient sleep may take more time out of our day, but if it makes us more productive and energetic it is a worthy investment. We don't need drugs or caffeine to stay awake. We just need more sleep.