When asked what the key skill is to being a long-haul pilot, people are often surprised when I reply with “sleeping”. No matter what job we do, getting good sleep is essential to our productivity, the key to our alertness and critical to our health. Without sufficient quality sleep, we do not perform anywhere near our best.
Regularly achieving less than eight hours of sleep weakens the immune system and is a key factor in the development of degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. It increases the chances of your coronary arteries becoming blocked, leading to heart disease.
A lack of sleep also increases the concentration of hormones which make you feel hungry and, in a twin-forked attack, lowers the levels of hormones which make you feel full. The result is binge-eating calorific food, even though your body doesn’t need it. If you’re attempting to shed those pounds, a lack of sleep makes it even harder, losing lean muscle and instead of fat.
To read the full article on The Telegraph, click here
