Adequate sleep benefits us in many ways than you can imagine. A good night’s rest and sleep are essential for your health. Having enough sleep at the right times is crucial and can help protect your mental and physical health, quality of life, and safety. In children, sleep also helps support growth and development. In addition, sleep is essential because it enables the body to repair and be fit and ready for the next day. Getting enough rest may also help prevent heart diseases, excess weight gain, and increased illness duration.
Furthermore, the way you feel while you’re awake depends on what happens while you’re sleeping. The damage caused by not having enough sleep can occur instantly or harm you over time. For example, sleep deficiency can raise your risk for some chronic health problems. It can also affect how well you think, work, react, learn and get along with others.
Many factors are involved in preparing our body to fall asleep and wake up. We all have something like an internal “body clock” that controls when we’re awake and when we need some sleep. A compound called adenosine seems to be one factor linked to this drive for sleep. While we’re awake, the adenosine level in our brain continues to rise. The increasing level of adenosine signals a shift towards sleep. Conversely, while we sleep, our body breaks down adenosine.
Good Sleep Strategies
Sleep is often the first thing that workaholics squeeze out of their schedules. However, making time to sleep will help protect your health and well-being. The following strategies will significantly improve your sleep habits;
-Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
-Try to keep the same sleep schedule on weeknights and weekends.
-If possible, avoid heavy and/or large meals within a couple hours before bedtime.
-Make use of the hour before bed for quiet time.
-Avoid nicotine ( found in cigarettes) and caffeine. They’re stimulants and interfere with sleep.
-Take a hot bath or use relaxation techniques before bed.
Sleep Benefits
People, these days, are now sleeping less than they did in the past, and sleep quality has dropped significantly. Below are some sleep benefits we get when we get enough sleep.
Good sleep can strengthen your heart
A review of 15 studies show that folks with poor sleep quality are at a higher risk of heart disease or stroke than those who sleep 7-8 hours per night. In addition, not getting enough sleep can lead to heart problems like high blood pressure or heart attacks. That’s because lack of sleep can cause our body to release cortisol, a stress hormone that triggers the heart to work harder.
Sleep improves healthy brain function
One of the most crucial sleep benefits worth mentioning is that sleep helps the brain work properly. While we’re sleeping, our brain is preparing for the next day. In addition, studies show that a good night’s sleep improves learning. Whether you’re learning maths, playing guitar, or driving a car, sleep helps enhance your learning and problem-solving skills. It also allows you to pay attention, make decisions and be creative. Without enough sleep, it’s challenging to focus and take in new information.
It helps weight control
When we’re well-rested, we’re less hungry. Being sleep-deprived messes with the hormone in your brain, leptin and ghrelin, that controls appetite. As a result, people with short sleep duration tend to weigh more than those who get adequate sleep. Sleep’s effect on weight is believed to be mediated by numerous factors, including hormones and motivation to exercise. If you’re trying to lose weight, then getting quality sleep is vital.
Sleep can increase productivity
Not having a good night’s rest could have an adverse effect at work or school. In fact, sleep has been linked to helping improve concentration and higher cognitive function, which can help you succeed at work. Lack of sleep may lead to microsleep. Microsleep refers to a brief moment of sleep that occurs when you’re awake. You can’t control microsleep, and you might not be aware of it. However, it can affect how you function in your activities for the day.
Sleep affects emotions and social interactions
Researchers believe that poor sleep affects our ability to recognize important social cues and process emotional information. Sleep loss drastically reduces your ability to interact socially. Chronic lack of sleep can also increase the chance of having a mood disorder. A large study showed that you’re five times more likely to develop depression when you have insomnia, and your odds of anxiety are higher. On the other hand, a refreshing sleep helps you hit the reset button on a bad day. It also improves your outlook on life and be better prepared for the day.
Good sleep prevents depression
Those with sleep disorders like insomnia report higher rates of depression than those without. It has been estimated a huge percentage of people with depression complain about sleep quality. In addition, insufficient sleep is even associated with an increased risk of death by suicide. In contrast, having sufficient sleep at the right time may help lower the risks of depression.
