Introduction
The importance of good sleep
Sleep is such an important activity — with emphasis on the active part of activity! While it may appear to be a largely passive process, it is far from one. The time you spend asleep each night is invaluable, as it:
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Allows your body to build new tissue, either for normal growth or after injury
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Lets your immune system focus on fighting disease and infection
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Gives your brain a chance to consolidate learning and process memories
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Not everyone finds it easy to get a good night's sleep. Some examples of the things that can get in the way of quality sleep include:
- sadness
- anxiety
- burnout
- ageing
- over-thinking
- over-eating
- alcohol
- recreational drugs
- financial stress
- workload stress
- relationship issues
- conflict at work
Which of the above might be relevant to you and your sleep efforts? Thinking about this will help you to recognise the upcoming areas of this course that could be especially helpful to you.