Sleep is a natural behavior all humans need in order to live a healthy lifestyle. Oddly enough, though, it is probably one of the most underrated when talking about health and wellness. Not only has research found that there is a strong correlation with sleep and other areas of our health, but also how not sleeping enough or poor sleeping can cause many different health issues.
When we sleep, we allow our body to go through many processes that help our body function at its best. Not only does our body go through physical repairs while we sleep, but our brains go through this process as well.
Due to this, you can imagine that not sleeping will cause a plethora of health problems such as: lack of focus, low immune system, obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases.
Sleep quality has been linked to many areas of our health when dealing with stress and how we handle our emotions. Sleep is very important when it comes to our emotional health. If we do not get enough sleep, we may find ourselves being more stressed, which could lead to anxiety. If we get quality sleep, we allow our bodies and mind to better handle these emotions and stressful situations.
Sleep also has strong connections to our physical being, as there have been studies that show sleep helps with many functions of the body. Sleep helps with hormone production, weight management, inflammation, and much more.
The 9 reasons why quality sleep is so important for your health.
1. Improve Physical Health
Sleep affects every part of your body’s biological system when you do not get enough of it. One main aspect of sleeping is that it helps your body with your immune system. When you sleep, your body releases cytokines, which are proteins that help your body fight inflammation and infection. If you don’t get enough sleep, then you are more prone to getting sick and will take longer to recover.
Sleep also helps you with your overall physical health. When you sleep, your body goes through a recovery process to help repair everything you did that day. Sleep is very important for athletes because your body grows and replenishes your energy when you sleep. If you’re looking to better your physical activity in your life, you need to ensure you’re sleeping.
Sleep is also connected to weight problems and diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Many studies show that people who are sleep deprived are likely to be obese because their hormone that controls appetite is out of whack. Sleep deprivation also increases your blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease.
Read Also: 8 Practical Steps to Overcome Laziness
2. Improve Mental Health
Sleep also helps with our mental health. Did you know that when we don’t get enough sleep, we are likely to be more stressed, anxious? Sleep allows our brain to go through processes that help us learn and remember information from our day. When you sleep, your brain goes through a process that allows you to handle your stress from your day, which can also help with depression.
When you don’t get enough sleep, your body produces more stress hormones, which make it harder for you to deal with things that happen during the day. Studies have shown that if you don’t get enough sleep, you are at risk for an anxiety disorder. When you get enough sleep, you will feel happier and less anxious.
Sleep also allows your body to go through a recovery process that allows you to think clearer and focus. When your brain doesn’t get enough sleep, it is harder for you to focus and you won’t be as productive. When you sleep, it allows you to take in more information and help you learn.
Sleep deprivation over a long period of time can put you at risk for depression. When looking to better your mental health, ensure you’re getting enough sleep at night. When you sleep better, your emotional health will be better as well.
Here are some tips to ensure you have a good night’s rest:
- Make sure your room is dark
- Try not to look at any screens 30 minutes before bed
- Take a nice warm bath
- Listen to calm music
Read Also: 5 Hidden Signs You’re Stuck in Life
3. Better Brain Function & Memory
Sleep is one of the foundations of having great brain function. Sleep helps with many aspects of your brain such as focus, problem-solving, and memory retention. When you sleep, your brain goes through a process that allows you to memorize things you learn during the day.
When you sleep, your brain will take the information you learned that day and transfer it to your long-term memory. There have been many studies that have shown sleep helps you with learning and memory.
One study had two groups of people. One group pulled an all-nighter while the other got a full 8 hours of sleep. The group that didn’t sleep only retained 25% of the information they learned.
When you don’t get enough sleep, it is harder for you to focus and think throughout the day. Your brain goes through a process that allows you to feel refreshed and helps with learning when you sleep. Without enough sleep, your brain will function poorly and you won’t be able to perform day-to-day tasks.
Sleep deprivation can cause many issues over time that can impair your brain from functioning. Not having enough sleep can increase your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Read Also: 10 Effective Ways to Stay Motivated and Achieve Your Dreams
4. Helps with Weight Management
When it comes to sleeping and weight problems, many studies have shown that when you don’t get enough sleep, you’re likely to become obese. When you don’t get enough sleep, it messes with the hormones that allow you to feel hungry or full. When you don’t sleep, you will feel hungrier throughout the day and not feel satisfied after you eat.
Sleep deprivation also causes our bodies to lose the ability to metabolize glucose, which can lead to diabetes. Studies have shown that people who don’t get enough sleep regularly have higher BMIs.
Not only does lack of sleep cause you to eat more, but it tends to make you crave things you shouldn’t. When you don’t get enough sleep, you are likely to eat more carbs and sugar, which can lead to you packing on the pounds. People who get enough sleep don’t have this problem, which is why their BMI is lower than others.
When you sleep better, you allow your body to recover from the day you had. When looking to be more active, you need to ensure you’re getting enough sleep at night. People who sleep better tend to work out more because they have more energy and can sleep after they work out to allow their body to recover.
Sleeping is not only good for your physical and mental health but can also help you manage your weight.
5. Regulates Your Mood
Sleep is very important when it comes to how you manage stress and your emotions. When you sleep, it allows your body to go through processes that help us manage our emotions. When we don’t get enough sleep, we tend to be more impatient, which could lead to you being more mad at things that wouldn’t normally upset you.
Studies have shown that people who get less than 7 hours of sleep felt happier than those who slept more. During your sleep cycle, your brain will go through a process that allows you to control your emotions from your day.
When you’re tired, it is harder for you to be patient, which then causes you to be more reactive or overreact to situations. When you get a good night’s rest, you allow your body to recover from your day, which can help better your mood.
Here are some ways you can better your sleep routine:
- Make sure you have comfortable sheets.
- Try drinking a cup of warm milk.
- Take a shower before bed.
- Listen to calming music.
Read your favorite book before bed. This will allow your mind to wander into different directions.
If you want to better your emotional health, you need to make sure you’re sleeping at night. You’ll start to notice a decrease in stress and be less annoyed by simple things.
6. Heart Health
Sleep is very important when it comes to heart health. Did you know when you don’t get enough sleep, you can actually increase your blood pressure? When we sleep, it allows your body to go through a recovery process that helps lower your blood pressure.
If you don’t get enough sleep over an extended period of time, it can cause higher blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease. During your sleep is when your body feels refreshed and helps with your blood pressure.
When you don’t get enough sleep, it causes your body to produce more stress hormones, which can increase inflammation. Studies show that when you don’t get enough sleep, it can increase C-reactive proteins, which leads to heart diseases.
Sleep deprivation is known to cause stress, which makes it harder for your body to control stress. Not only can increased blood pressure cause heart disease but being more stressed can increase your heart rate.
If you’re sleep deprived for long periods of time, you’re at a higher risk for heart disease and other health issues.
7. Stronger Immune System
Sleep also helps with building your immune system. When you sleep, your body produces something called cytokines. Cytokines are proteins that help your body with inflammation and infection.
When your body doesn’t get enough sleep, it won’t be able to produce enough cytokines, which could lead to you getting sick. By getting enough sleep, you allow your body to recover from your day and produce enough cytokines to help you fight off viruses.
Sleep deprivation has been linked to increased levels of inflammation in the body. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body produces more stress hormones, which can increase inflammation.
By getting enough sleep each night, you’ll allow your body to fight off anything that may cause illness. You’ll feel healthier and won’t have to worry about catching that bug going around.
8. Cell Repair & Growth
When you sleep, your body goes through a recovery process that helps repair damaged cells. While you sleep is also when your body grows, meaning if you don’t have enough sleep you’re not growing to your full potential.
Your body produces a hormone called human growth hormone when you sleep. When you don’t get enough sleep, you won’t produce enough of this hormone, which could affect you physically.
During sleep is when your body goes through a process that helps repair the damage you did from the day. Not only does your body grow when you sleep but it helps release hormones that help muscle growth.
If you have a dream of being huge at the gym, then you need to ensure you’re sleeping every night. When your body doesn’t get enough sleep, it won’t be able to produce enough hormones, which can affect your recovery.
Sleep is very important for your body because it doesn’t just allow you to feel better; it allows your body to grow and repair from the previous day.
9. Longevity
When you don’t get enough sleep, it shortens your life. Studies have shown that when you’re sleeping enough, your life is greater because you’ll be in better health.
When you don’t get enough sleep at night, you’re more likely to become obese, addicted to medications, diabetic, and have heart disease. Your body doesn’t function properly when you don’t allow it to, which can cause you to die earlier.
When you sleep, it allows your body to recover from your day and can help you with weight loss. If you’re sleeping enough at night, you won’t have as many health problems that can shorten your life.
Sleep is one of the foundations of living a longer life. When you ensure you get enough sleep each night, you won’t have as many health problems.
If you took anything from this article, let it be that you need to sleep. When you sleep, you allow your body to go through so many processes that help your body recover from the day.
Your brain also goes through a process when you sleep, which can help you better handle situations that are stressful. Make sure you live the best life by sleeping every night.
Sleep allows your body to repair from injuries and build muscle. Also, when you don’t sleep enough, you’re more likely to become obese.
Ensure you get good sleep every night and you’re grateful you did when you live a longer, happier life.
Save the pin for later
