Without doubt, sleep is essential for our optimal health, as much as a healthy diet and regular exercise are. However, a lot of people fail to get the needed hours of sleep and rest and as a result, struggle with a long list of health problems.
Nowadays, people are sleeping much less than they did in the past, Health Line explain, and our quality of sleep has also significantly dropped. To elevate the awareness about why getting a good night’s sleep matters, in today’s article, we will present the 10 best health advantages of regular and quality sleep.
Why Sleep Matters: 10 Reasons a Good Night’s Sleep Is a Must
- Sleep boosts our focus and productivity
Regular sleep is necessary for optimal productivity, performance, concentration, and cognition. Poor sleep can have a negative impact on the brain, similar to alcohol intoxication. We are also more prone to making errors when we do not get enough sleep.
- Sleep lowers the risk of strokes and heart illness
According to a review of several studies, the individuals who did not sleep enough had a higher chance of strokes and heart illnesses than the participants who got 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night.
- Sleep prevents depression
Did you know that there is a strong connection between poor sleep and depression? Namely, 90 percent of people with depression also complain of low sleep quality, according to Health Line. Also, poor sleep quality has been linked to a higher risk of death caused by suicide.
- Sleep averts inflammation
Not getting sufficient hours of sleep stimulates inflammation and cell damage. Moreover, poor sleep has been associated with digestive long-term inflammation or IBS.
- Sleep betters our capacity to process emotional data and to interact socially
When you do not get enough sleep, your capacity for social interaction decreases and one study showed that those who did not get sufficient sleep had a lower chance of recognising facial expressions associated with happiness and anger.
- Sleep strengthens the immunity
In a study, it was discovered that the people who got less than seven hours of sleep per night had a higher risk of getting a cold than the people who slept eight or more hours.
- Sleep improves our athletic performance
Another study concluded that low sleep quality has to do with poor physical performance and functional limitation in elderly females. Therefore, if you want to get the most from your workout, you need to get the most from sleep too!
- Sleep helps us eat less
When we do not get enough sleep, our appetite is bigger and thus, we will consume more calories throughout the day. Moreover, lack of sleep can lead to imbalance in the hormones participating in the appetite regulation and thus, worsen the body’s appetite management.
- Sleep helps maintain healthy weight
Weight gain has been associated with poor quality of sleep. As Health Line note, those who do not get enough weight were found to weigh more than the participants who got enough sleep. This is believed to be linked to numerous contributing factors, including motivation for exercise and the hormones. So, if you want to lose weight, you will need to better your sleep quality!
- Sleep decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes
Chronic sleep deprivation was found to trigger pre-diabetes in healthy individuals in a matter of six days. Also, other studies have found a connection between type 2 diabetes and short sleep.
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