By Dr. Don Colbert

Every night when the Walt Disney World theme parks close their gates and the crowds go home, the most important hours of the Disney day begin. Big lights go up, and massive crews of workers repair and clean every ride, every walkway, and every concession stand.

When the gates open the next morning, the parks are completely renewed. The trash from the previous day is gone, and the roller coasters are in top condition again.

A similar thing happens every night in your body. During those precious hours your body shuts down and repairs itself. Your immune system recharges. Your major organs are restored. Old cells are being replaced with new ones. Your mind relaxes and orders its thoughts, creating a healthy mental state.

What if Walt Disney World stayed open all night or let people in at 3:00a.m., cutting short the repair time? The park would eventually be unsafe, unsanitary, and unappealing. It would end up a run-down shadow of itself, careening toward financial disaster and, worse, causing injuries or deaths on rides that were not maintained properly.

Lack of sleep is just as disastrous for you as an individual. A good night’s sleep is free. A bad night’s sleep is costly, because it takes a toll on your health.

We live in a world where day and night no longer matter. Thanks to modern technology, we can work and play around the clock. This is not the way our bodies or minds were made to operate. God gave us a promise of deep, restorative sleep. Psalm 127:2 (NIV) says, “He grants sleep to those he loves.” To those who are tired, He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28,NIV) Sleep and rest are so important because of what they do for your health.

A good night’s sleep restores, repairs, and rejuvenates your body. Sleep is important because it is vital for your immune system and your overall health. Sleep also slows down the aging process. Lack of adequate sleep increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes as well as a host of other diseases.

What happens when you don’t sleep? You endanger your life and the lives of others. Sleep deprivation is responsible for at least 100,000 crashes and 1,500 fatalities a year, according to a 2002 report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

You become clumsy and “sleep drunk.” Lack of sleep slows your reaction time, shortens your attention span, and impairs your memory, your decision-making process, and your coordination. People who go for up to nineteen hours without sleep score significantly worse on performance and alertness tests than people with a blood alcohol level of .08 which is legally drunk. Getting the adequate amount of sleep is beneficial to you, and it benefits those around you. Make sure you get at least seven to nine hours of sleep tonight.

Printed with permission: The Seven Pillars of Health, The natural way to Better Health for Life

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