![\"\"](\"http:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/0\/03\/Jackie_Martinez_in_B%26W_sleeping_with_a_book.jpg\")
A few decades ago, a talk show co-host \u00a0infamous for his temper bragged that he needed only four hours of sleep.\u00a0 Current research has shown that the two are connected.\u00a0 Inadequate levels of sleep lead to reduced willpower and increased inability to maintain an even temperament.\u00a0 If you find your temper easily frays or that your thinking is sluggish, look to how much you sleep.\u00a0 Sleep deprivation impairs glucose regulation which negatively impacts willpower<\/a>. The result may be a frayed temper along with a series of poor decisions.<\/p>\n Reduced willpower and sluggish thinking as a result of inadequate sleep may be caused by deterioration of neurons<\/a> in the brain. These neurons work hard when you are awake and can become over-stressed if there is not enough of a recovery period during sleep.\u00a0 \u00a0As neurons break down, so does your thinking.<\/p>\n Although the ideal number of hours of sleep vary by individual and by age, research at the National Sleep Foundation\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0suggests that the average adult needs 7 \u2013 8 hours of sleep to achieve optimal physical and mental health results.\u00a0 You can read more\u00a0<\/span>about the importance of sleep in the chapter ‘To Sleep\u2026’ \u00a0in Walking in Sunshine<\/a><\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n