Sleep is a key player, which makes your mind and body stress-free, and keeps it fresh and active throughout the day. Sleeping is basically a restorative process, which promotes healthy body function and significantly improves the quality of life. Its importance is not limited to just getting rid of dark under-eye circles and boosting your mood; a goodnight sleep also positively affects your heart, mind, body weight and many other body functions.
Ample amount of sleep is very important for all of us as it helps the body recover from the exhaustion caused throughout the day. Deprivation of sleep takes a heavy toll on your body, mind and overall health in astonishing ways. Researches show that lack of sleep is directly linked to flu and cold, heart disease, unfavorable mental health, diabetes and even obesity.
Still, Why Sleep Is So Important?
If the question still lingers in your mind regarding why a proper and good night sleep is so stressed upon by every medical practitioner and health professional, it is best that you know how it benefits your body to satisfactorily get the answer to this question.
Boosts Energy Levels
After a proper night’s sleep; energy levels of your body are tenfold, your mental responsiveness is more accurate and quick, and you are likely to have a fresher look on your face. Not only does a good night’s sleep helps us feel great, more active and alert all the way through the day, but it raises the chance of having a better sleep on the following night as well.
Significantly Reduces Stress
A good night’s sleep reduces stress, anxiety and tension. When our body lacks sleep, it is in a state of stress and affects our cardiovascular health. The body experiences high blood pressure, as a result of which stress hormones are produced. Stress hormones also contribute in insomnia, and with high blood pressure, the risk of heart strokes and attacks increases considerably. Proper sleep helps you relax and neutralize the effects of stress on the body.
Improves Memory
Your mind is busy while you are snoozing as well. Researchers say that our body performs many tasks while we sleep, amongst which, one is known as memory consolidation. During sleep, our brain processes our day and makes links between feelings, experiences, events and memories. It is the best time for the brain to shape memories and make connections, which helps us in remembering things in the future.
Diminishes Chronic Inflammation
Sleeping disorders increase the amount of stress hormones in our body and become a reason for chronic inflammation disorders, such as atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, periodontitis, heart problems, diabetes, and even cancer. Chronic inflammation is also known to cause aging. Sleeping properly reduces the probability of chronic inflammation and hinders the development of all the mentioned diseases.
Helps Our Body to Recuperate From Daily Damage
Sleep is the time when our body makes repairs to the daily damage caused by ultraviolet rays, stress and other detrimental exposures. Our body produces more protein cells during sleep, which are aimed at repairing the damaged cells. For example, if you have a muscle injury, it will heal faster when you are asleep.
Kindles Creativity Within!
A proper night’s sleep makes us smarter too. When our mind is fresh and fully active, it generates awesome ideas filled with creativity and innovation. Even napping for a short time during the day does the trick, and helps in regaining focus and tackling mental challenges. It also does a better job than caffeine in making us more alert and productive.
Helps in Suppressing Depression
Serotonin is one of the known biochemical substances that are affected by lack of sleep. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, which is associated with our mood. The high and low levels of serotonin result in the feeling of happiness and sadness. While the former is what we all desire, the later makes us prone to depression and other related disorders. Proper 7 to 9 hour sleep regulates the serotonin levels, which promotes good mood and makes us feel happier.
Some Science Related Facts
If you think these benefits are too obvious and any sensible person can tell you about sleep and its importance, then wait! There is more! To clarify it further, here is some science based evidence related to sleep and its effects on health in the light of studies and researches:
- Whenever you lack sleep, your body feels worn down. According to research conducted by Kettering Sleep Disorders, Ohio, this indicates that your body is vulnerable to catching illnesses and infections, and the probability of the immune system to fight it off, decreases. This opens up chances for you to be infected by illnesses such as cold and flu.
- Studies also show that deprivation of sleep decreases the responsiveness of the body to vaccines due to the suppressed immune response.
- According to a study journal on Pediatrics, it has been researched that children of ages 7 to 8 who sleeps less than eight hours in the night are most likely to be impulsive, hyperactive and inattentive.
- It is also been proved that due to long term lack of sleep, chronic inflammation leads to serious medical conditions like diabetes, heart attack, stroke, etc.
It must have become quite clear now after these evidences and proofs that sleep is important for us, and that it can turn the tables of your lifestyle around, if not given due attention. So starting from today, make sure that you get at least 7 to 9 hours sleep so that you stay healthy, happy and refreshed!
