Get a good night's sleep to improve your memory, metabolism and overall health

One night of insufficient or interrupted sleep can ruin your day. It is harder to wake up the next morning, you feel sluggish and foggy all day, and your motor skills are not their sharpest. But chronic sleep deprivation, depending on its severity and duration, can interfere with your long-term memory, and is associated with greater risk of depression symptoms and weight gain. While we are sleeping, important upkeep tasks are going on throughout the body. Feeling chipper and rested is only part of sleep's payoff.

In this wellness center, you will see visualizations showing the natural, balanced flow of our sleep cycles. You will also learn what happens to your body and brain and when this flow is disrupted and you are deprived of sleep. We will show you why it is important to get your sleep habits on track, and give you helpful hints for getting enough rest. Use these special features to get the most out this wellness center:

• The chapter listing at the left shows the range of subtopics that we will explore in this health center.


• The key visualizations from each chapter appear in our carousel of small pictures, above. Clicking on each one will enlarge it so you can view the content for the related chapter.


• On the main images, buttons may launch short videos, graphics and interactive features.


• A feature called "Take Three Steps" in some chapters gives you three simple actions to take in order to begin improving your well-being right away.


• Also, rolling over the red arrows on the images reveals more interactive content.


• Finally, the photos, graphics and icons in the text labeled “Read More” link to additional content and interactive experiences. Click away!

We hope you find all of “The 9 Visual Rules of Wellness” to be informative and compelling.

MAKE SLEEP A PRIORITY VIDEOS

CHAPTER 1 (currently viewing) The Importance of Sleep Sleep is not a luxury. It is essential to our fitness, memory, mood and overall health. VIEW VIDEO

CHAPTER 3 We Sleep in Cycles Our sleep progresses through four distinct cycles, and each plays a role in maintaining our health. VIEW VIDEO

CHAPTER 10 Sleep and Your Weight A good night's sleep keeps two important appetite-control hormones in balance. VIEW VIDEO

CHAPTER 14 Could You Have Sleep Apnea? This breathing disorder disrupts sleep and plays havoc with your health. VIEW VIDEO

CHAPTER 17 Seniors Need Sleep Seniors should still aim for about eight hours of sleep per night. VIEW VIDEO