In a recent edition of NOW Magazine, James MacFarlane contributed his expert insights to Elizabeth Bromstein’s article entitled “Catch better zzz’s: Sleep sounder with a digital curfew and a dose of relaxing magnesium”.
“Alcohol disturbs sleep more than people imagine. You may fall asleep faster, but you get a rebound effect on the autonomic nervous system that can increase heart palpitations and feelings of anxiety. A new finding on the consequences of poor sleep: when people were deprived of a few hours of sleep a night, there was a significant change in the nocturnal glucose and insulin level. People craved more carbohydrate-based foods during the day. Not optimizing your sleep can lead to almost immediate physical consequences and long-term ones like weight gain and type 2 diabetes.”
JAMES MacFARLANE, professor of pediatrics and psychiatry, U of T, clinical consultant, MedSleep, Toronto
The article appeared in NOW Magazine, VOL 31 NO 28, March 8-15, 2012.
You can find the complete article at www.nowtoronto.com.