Sleep is just as important as diet and exercise, yet many people do not get an adequate amount of sleep regularly. Everyone probably knows that they should be sleeping around seven to nine hours per night, but do we really know why we should? According to the National Sleep Foundation, there are a lot of benefits to being well rested, such as better physical and mental health.
Feeling overall happier is definitely one of the biggest perks of being well rested. When sleep deprived, people tend to be more stressed and their emotions are harder to control. People are more prone to anxiety, depression, and irritability if tired. Sleep helps with coping with upsetting events and to stay in an overall better mood.
Being overtired is linked with overeating. It does this by changing hormone levels to increase our appetite when we may not need the food. Unfortunately, sleep deprivation can also cause us to gain weight by changing how our bodies store and process carbohydrates. This is why sleep deprivation can cause us to struggle with managing our weight.
Productivity increases when sleep isn’t deprived. This can help with staying focused on tasks to get them done faster. Sleeping enough could even prevent more mistakes on assignments.
Our immune systems need sufficient sleep so that we can remain healthy. If sleep deprived, one can get sick more often with colds and other infections. In the long-term, being well-rested can help reduce risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other serious diseases.
Even though we all know how much sleep we should be getting, so many of us still are not getting enough sleep. Many still believe the myth that one less hour of sleep will give us an extra hour of productivity, but that isn’t the case. Harvard research suggests that even small amounts of sleep deprivation can take a great toll on our health, mood, cognitive capacity, and our productivity.
It is important to listen to your body on what it needs, especially when it comes to sleep. Some people need more sleep than others, but it is important to sleep until you feel refreshed. To help yourself fall asleep it can be helpful to go to bed around the same time every night, get regular exercise, keep your room dark, and try breathing exercises to relax.
Most Americans report getting less than six hours of sleep each night. We overuse caffeine and try to tell ourselves we are awake enough to do our daily tasks, but we are just lying to ourselves. This will only lead to a greater progression towards poor health. Along with nutrition and exercise, getting enough sleep is essential for living a healthy lifestyle.
In Balanced Health,
