In our society not needing a lot of sleep is seen as a good thing. “I only need a couple hours sleep,” my mother often brags. “I can go to bed at 11:30 and get up at 4:30 and I’m fine.” But is she really fine?

Most people need eight hours sleep. Some need more. Some need less. Sleep is necessary and getting the right amount of sleep is important to your health. You shouldn’t try to skip out on the sleep you need.

Chronic sleep deprivation speeds the aging process and increases your risk of developing diabetes. It also increases your chances of becoming overweight. When you haven’t had enough sleep your judgment is impaired and your reaction time slows.

I saw a report about sleep not so long ago on 60 Minutes. The whole time my husband was saying, “See. See.” He gets tons of sleep. I thought it was quite informative and I wanted to share it with you. It’s in two parts. Sorry about the ads.

Photo by prakhar