Maintaining good health is vital to improve the quality of our life. Many practices collectively make a healthy routine, and all of them are equally important for a healthy life. Eating a balanced diet, regular exercise, and having enough sleep top the list of these practices. You might be wondering, is sleep really as crucial as healthy eating habits and regular exercise are. And the straightforward answer to your question is ‘Yes.’
The human body has a unique system of self-healing and self revival. And most of these two procedures take place during sleep hours. When we stay awake at nights, we fight with natural body procedures. It affects the overall performance of our bodies as well as the brain.
Therefore people are finding out ways to improve their sleep patterns. Some effective remedies include no screen time before bed, use of trustworthy supplement brands such as Nature Made, Olly and Nature’s Bounty’s for valerian root, lavender aromatherapy, etc.
Let’s throw some light on the reasons why your health is directly associated with having a full night sleep.
- Lack of Sleep May Affect your Productivity and Concentration
The human brain is an organ that keeps working throughout the day and has to work during the night time too if we do not sleep at night. Sleep is a source of providing rest to our brain. When we do not sleep enough, the efficiency of our brain starts deteriorating.
Brain functions such as productivity, cognition, concentration, and performance are greatly affected by the lack of sleep. According to a study, it was concluded that sleeplessness could impact the brain to almost the same extent as alcohol does.
On the other hand, good sleep is linked with improved problem-solving skills as well as better memory function observed in people of all ages.
- Having A Good Night Sleep will Help You Eat Fewer Calories
It is usually observed that good night sleepers need fewer calories throughout the day as compared to those who fail to have enough sleep. This observation is supported by research. According to a science-based study, sleep deprivation results in increased appetite. Ghrelin is a hormone that stimulates appetite, while leptin, on the other hand, suppresses appetite. Disrupted sleep causes an increase in the production of Ghrelin and decreases leptin production.
- Enough Sleep Helps In Better Weight Management
As it is proved by science that good sleep reduces calorie intake, it automatically helps prevent weight gain. Short sleep durations are associated with obesity. According to an extensive review study, children who take less sleep are 88%, and adults are 55% more likely to have obesity.
- Maximize your Athletic Performance with A Full Night Sleep
It is observed that people who sleep well at night show better performance in sports as well as their regular day to day activities. A study conducted on 2800 women found that poor sleep resulted in slow walking, weak grip, and a more sedentary lifestyle.
- Empower Your Heart with the Help of Deep Sleep
The quality and duration of your sleep can have visible impacts on your overall health. Less and disrupted sleep results in the development of many chronic diseases. Cardiovascular problems are among the most common health conditions developed due to lack of sleep.
- Poor Sleepers are at Greater Risk of Diabetes
Sleep deprivation results in reduced insulin sensitivity, ultimately affecting blood sugar levels. People who sleep less than 6 hours a night start showing prediabetes symptoms.
- Poor Sleep Can Increase the Risk of Developing Depression
Sleeping disorders are repeatedly observed to be associated with psychological problems. Medical conditions such as depression and anxiety are observed in people who fail to sleep at least 6 to 8 hours a night.
- Strengthen Your Immunity with Long Deep Sleep
As mentioned above, sleep hours are the time when our body exhibits the procedure of self-healing and self-repair. The damaged and tired cells and tissues of our body need repair, and it happens when we go to sleep. This self-repair system is associated with the immune function of our body. If the broken cells are not repaired, the immune system fails to work correctly. As a result, our bodies are prone to get infected by various viruses and bacteria.
Therefore, it is important to let our bodies and brain self heal by having at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep.
- Sleeplessness is Associated with Higher Inflammation
One of the various causes of inflammation is damaged cells and tissues. Lack of sleep results in more damaged cells accumulating in our body. As a result, it activates undesirable markers of inflammation. Inflammatory bowel disease, which is an inflammation of the digestive tract, is common in people with poor sleep habits.
- Better Emotional and Social Interactions with Better Sleep
Sleep improves a person’s social and emotional intelligence. This fact is supported by science through a research-based study that people who do not sleep well have a lower ability to understand and interpret other people’s emotions.