We have some news for you. Do you chat with your friends into the night? Do you binge-watch until morning? Or do you find it hard to stop reading your favourite book until midnight?
We live in a time when everyone is preoccupied with something. It may be advantageous. Sometimes it hurts our well-being and state of health.
Your preoccupation may allow you a few hours of sleep, and before you know it, it's morning again. You have got to attend a class, meeting, or run some errands, but you're still drowsy.
After all the chores of the day, you may want to rest, but another preoccupation may disrupt your sleep, and the same process is repeated all over again.
If this is you, then you may have been missing out on a natural gift to stay healthy and robust. Do you know that lack of sleep can directly affect your mental health? You didn't know? Now, you do.
What are the benefits of getting sound sleep? The quality of the sleep you get determines how beautiful and active you are. Oh yeah, you read that right. To learn more benefits of good quality sleep, read on.
1. Enhanced Mood
After a good night's sleep, you are more likely to wake up in a great mood. Given that a good night's sleep translates to hours of rest, it is unsurprising that you wake up with a good feeling. After all, a good night's rest will help you recuperate lost energy.
Habitual lack of sleep increases one’s chance of developing a mood disorder. A research study even suggests that people dealing with insomnia are more susceptible to depression, anxiety attacks, and panic disorders.
Spending the right amount of time in bed will help refresh your energy levels. You will socialize better with your colleagues, family members, and others around you.
2. Healthy Heart
Chronic lack of sleep can result in cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure or heart attacks. This is because your body secretes cortisol - a stress hormone - when you don't get enough sleep. Cortisol, while performing its stress-relief functions, places a strain on the heart.
So, to keep your heart healthy and prevent cardiovascular problems, there is a need to take your sleeping schedule more seriously.
3. Improved Immune System
In a bid to keep the body fully active, the immune system helps to fight and keep disease-causing germs at bay. That said, the immune system and its components need rest too. This helps to keep them strong enough to fight off diseases.
According to an American study, adequate sleep increases the effectiveness of vaccines. In essence, this study only strengthens that you are less likely to fall ill if you get enough rest daily.
4. Weight Control
Experimental study shows that lack of sleep increases one’s appetite and hunger, especially for high-calorie foods. With these physiological factors set in motion, plus the reluctance to move around due to fatigue, one is at the risk of putting on more weight.
Of course, getting enough sleep won't directly cause pounds loss. However, a good midnight sleep helps you avoid the production of ghrelin - a hormone that enhances the appetite. Without an abnormal increase in appetite, you won’t eat at odd hours; hence there won't be unwanted additional body fat.
5. Safety
According to another American study, one is more likely to be involved in a car accident after a night of insufficient sleep.
In essence, the study explains how the brain reacts more slowly to impending danger when it is not well-rested. So, getting enough sleep reduces your risk of being hurt or injured. It keeps you alert, sharp, and robust.
6. Improved Athletic Performance
Adequate sleep helps you to hit top speed — both figuratively and literally. Apart from replenishing depleted energy reserves, sleep also affords your body time to repair tired muscles.
Furthermore, it helps to keep essential athletic qualities, such as reaction time and hand-eye coordination, at a higher level.
7. Enhanced Productivity
A work lifestyle where you deprive yourself of quality rest isn't sustainable. While it may pay some short-term dividends, it will take a toll on your health and productivity.
A good sleep routine, on the other hand, keeps your mind sharp and enhances the cognitive function of your brain.
Moreover, a sleep-deprived person is more prone to errors in the workplace. So, it is clear that adequate sleep helps one concentrate at work.
8. Improved Memory
Adequate sleep is essential for sound memory health. While fast asleep, your brain processes and stores memories and pieces of information gathered during the day. Notably, a disrupted sleep-wake cycle could impair the memory function of one’s brain.
Endnote
Just as with exercise and nutrition, sleep is essential to maintaining good health. If you wish to live life to the fullest and at optimum energy, keep to a quality sleep routine.
A night of quality sleep keeps you refreshed, smooth, beautiful, and active. Little wonder you wake up tired and sluggish after a few hours of sleep. In contrast, you wake up full of energy and cheerfulness after a good quality amount of sleep.
The secret to a healthy and happy lifestyle is good nutrition, staying fit, and good quality of sleep.
