Sleep is one of the most important things you do daily. It seems odd to say so considering that it’s during sleeping when you are the least productive. A lot of people don’t value sleep as much as they should and this is a big mistake. They often focus on work, their goals, and ambitions without knowing that lack of sleep is a problem along the way.
How much sleep do you need per day? It depends on your age. Infants need 14-17 hours of sleep per day. While teenagers need 8-10 per day. Working adults need around 7-9 hours per day whereas the elderly need around 8 hours of sleep.
No matter how hard work or school seems to be, you should always strive to get as much rest as you can. It’s not just about feeling comfortable or energized. It’s also about maintaining good bodily health as well. Follow on for these 5 Reasons Why Getting Enough Sleep is Important to Our Health!
1. Sleep Improves Concentration
People who lack sleep tend to have weaker focus and slower reaction times. This is why it’s advisable to get a full night of sleep a day before a test or a business presentation. If you want to be at your best, sleep to your heart’s content the day before the event itself.
If your mind is rested, you’ll be able to concentrate better. For instance, you’ll be able to absorb the knowledge from a lesson a lot more easily. It’s been proven again and again, that people who sleep more are able to perform better when it comes to tests and other tasks that require quick thinking and focus.
As you are more focused, you are also able to become more productive as well. The best students and employees are those that don’t sacrifice their sleep to “improve their craft.”
2. Better Athletic Performance
If you’ve found yourself lacking sufficient sleep for a couple of days, you’ll feel that your body starts to get sore more easily. Your muscles also feel more tender to the touch, and your overall physical feeling becomes sluggish and slow. This is because your muscles and bones aren’t being given enough time to recuperate.
Getting a full cycle of sleep also helps boost your athletic performance and overall physical capabilities. To say it makes you stronger is an understatement. In reality, good sleep results in several physical benefits that you’ll begin to feel an hour or so after waking up.
One of the things you might feel physically is that your muscles feel a lot denser and your joints are a lot looser too. This results in improved strength and mobility – perfect if you have an upcoming sporting event or exhibition to attend to. Professional athletes themselves promote the need for long sleep cycles. Aside from this, your body will feel more coordinated as well. If you partner this heightened physical capacity with the improved concentration you get from sleeping well, you’ll be at your peak instantly. There’s no comparing how good it feels to move around in a body that’s rested well.
3. Reduce Stress & Improve Your Mood
Sleeping also provides useful benefits for your mental health. People undergo a lot of mental stress on a daily basis. We all have different approaches as to how we relax and unwind but the common way to do so is getting the right amount of sleep after a bad or super-busy day.
As you feel more relaxed after sleeping, your body de-stresses almost instantly. That being said, your mood improves as well. After a bad day, try sleeping naturally, without an alarm. Let your body do its work as you rest. Upon waking up, you’ll feel a whole lot better, and a lot happier as well.
When you lack sleep, you also lack the drive to socially interact with others. You’ll be moodier and you’ll likely be prone to snapping at people as well. Consider using this sleep calculator and get a full night of sleep before a social gathering. You’ll see that it’s a lot easier to strike up a conversation with others when you’re well-rested.
Some studies have also shown that sleeping helps treat depression to a degree. On the other hand, people that suffer from certain mental health conditions also suffer from insomnia. In cases like these, sleeping pills may be a reasonable (albeit temporary) way to control sleep problems.
4. Better Heart & Overall Health
A common factor that causes various heart diseases is high blood pressure. The higher your blood pressure is, the more common it is for your body to develop a heart-related problem. The good news is that sleeping basically regulates your blood pressure overnight.
What this means is that if you get your recommended hours of sleep daily, you can reduce your risk of contracting cardiovascular disease. That’s not all though. A lot of diseases are caused by high blood pressure. This means sleeping well can effectively improve your overall health as well.
All in all, more time in your bed can actually prevent spending time on a hospital bed.
5. Better Metabolism
The truth is that the link between weight gain and poor sleeping patterns is yet to be researched conclusively. However, sleeping has always been linked to helping improve our body’s metabolism. As such, if people lack a good amount of sleep, their body’s metabolism will be poor as well.
What this means is that lack of sleep could potentially result in weight gain. Your body will find it harder to break down the nutrients from the food. Other than that, your body is also going to find it hard to take in calories efficiently. While studies have yet to prove otherwise, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Sleep isn’t just something that you do to end the day with. It’s something that helps your overall wellbeing, and your body to recover after a long day. These benefits to getting good rest show that it is one of the most important aspects of a healthy life. As such, do your best to find the means to rest as much as you can daily. What is your relationship with sleep? Let us know in the comments below, and join in the conversation on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!
