Sleep is vital to overall health

Generally speaking, a healthy lifestyle involves a three-prong approach: Eating right, exercising regularly, and (here's the lesser known part) getting adequate amounts of sleep. Then again, maybe the importance of sleep is widely known. For one, it has been shown that countries that have regular "siesta" times in the middle of the day tend to have lower rates of heart disease. And, there is plenty of research showing that not sleeping enough can lead to weight gain. Okay, I stand corrected. Nevertheless, sleeping remains an important aspect of staying healthy.

How important? Thanks for asking (I was really struggling for a segue). It seems very important, as evidenced by the results of a 2006 study conducted at Harvard. Scientists found that people who sleep for 5 hours or less a night were 32 percent more likely to gain weight than those who were able to get at least 7 hours. And, on top of that, a study out of Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health revealed that a lack of solid sleep can increase a person's risk of developing high blood pressure.

So, as you read this blog and become bored with some stats about how much more fat is burned during a session of rowing than biking (about 40 to 50 percent more), or the amount of calories in a Nacho Bell Grande/Cinnamon Twist/Large Pepsi lunch from Taco Bell (1,230), feel free to take a nap. It may help your overall health just as much as the other two prongs.