Why Sleep is Essential
Quality sleep is not overrated as most people think. It frankly plays a very vital role in your health. It goes beyond just relaxation from stress. In fact, just as you think eating and physical exercises are important, so also is sleep. Regardless, it is rather unfortunate that most people do not get a good night’s sleep due to one sleep interference or the other. When your natural sleep pattern begins to suffer, your health begins to get tampered with. There are so many side effects of poor sleeping habits. One of the best ways to have a healthy life is good sleep. Studies have demonstrated the positive effects of quality sleep on health. The quality sleep time is between 7 to 8 hours per day. Falling short of this could lead to negative side effects that might linger for a while.
10 Things to Know About Quality Sleep
Increased Body Weight
Research has linked poor sleeping habits to increased or higher body weight, and according to experts, this link is strong. Thus, if you are on a weight-loss routine and you have a poor sleeping habit or an unhealthy sleep pattern, then your effort in losing weight might just be in futility. This is because people who sleep well tend to have lesser chances of adding unnecessary weight, much more than people who sleep less. In fact, one of the triggers or risk factors of obesity is short sleep.
In other words, weight management involves a healthy sleep pattern. You cannot embark on a weight loss journey without setting out a good sleep plan first, as poor sleep can put you at the risk of gaining more weight.
Sleep Helps You Eat Fewer Calories
Still, on the weight gain matter, studies have shown that sleeping well helps you eat lesser calories than you normally would, while poor sleep would make you crave and have a big appetite for junk and calorie-filled foods. How is this so? Experts have proven that when you deprive your body of adequate sleep, some hormones in your body begin to fluctuate, and one of the most affected hormones is the appetite hormone. When this occurs, the regulation of your appetite begins to experience glitches, thus making you crave more food and more calories, which in turn would most likely make you gain weight.
Thus, following a weight loss routine involves good sleep, as it would not just assist you in your weight loss process, it would also help you regulate your appetite hormone and how much you eat, thus making your weight loss journey a success.
Improves Productivity
Having a good night’s sleep results in a productive day at work. Poor sleeping habits would leave you sluggish, tired, and less productive the next morning. In order to avoid these, ensure you draw up a healthy sleep pattern and follow it with consistency.
Also, sleeping well can help improve your concentration level. This is due to the effect of sleep on the brain. A good previous night’s sleep can keep you concentrated and focused the next morning. It increases your problem-solving abilities by giving you the oomph to think deep and outside the box without any form of reluctance. Sleep plays an influential role in the brain, such that your concentration and cognition levels are solid enough for the next day’s activities. You do not want to go to work feeling like a lily being pushed around by the breeze. Asides from poor productivity, you definitely would not enjoy your day.
Improves Physical Activities or Athletic Activities
If you are an athletic individual, you cannot achieve maximum success if you have not or do not sleep well. Recent research has shown that athletes and basketball players who have a quality sleep experience better speed during their activities. Also, they experience better concentration and mental well-being levels. Poor sleep only makes them less productive, thus making them perform below expectation.
Generally, poor sleep for everybody, athletic or non-athletic, is not healthy, as this can trigger some health conditions as well as worsen the symptoms of others.
Reduces Risks of Falling Sick
The health conditions that result from poor sleep go beyond the minor health conditions. People who sleep less have higher risks of developing chronic health conditions like stroke and heart diseases. Staying healthy does not only involve eating healthy. It also involves maximum and healthy sleep routines. None of the above-mentioned functions are in isolation; both of them work hand in hand to make a healthy you. The third part of this triangle is healthy lifestyle and habits, which involves physical exercises and a healthy sleep plan, among others.
Thus, as much as you are mindful of what you eat, how you eat, and the kind of lifestyle you lead, make sure you are eating well too.
Disrupts Metabolism
Sleep interferences can tamper with the metabolic processes in the body. One of the most affected is the blood sugar regulation in the body, which can expose you to the risk of diabetes. According to research, poor sleep in young adults can lead to pre-diabetes, and one of the methods of reversing this condition was increased sleep time.
Poor sleep tampers with the glucose-glycogen conversion in the body, thereby exposing you to the risks of none other but diabetes. This is most common in people who have less than 6 hours of sleep every night.
Leaves You Depressed
Some mental issues stem from poor sleep. This is due to the stress caused to the brain. The brain and the body generally are like engines that need breaks and space to reboot. When they work for a while, you are meant to allow them to rest for a while as well, in order to increase productivity. Lack of adequate rest of the brain and the body would cause them to break down. A good example of this breakdown is mental disorders, of which depression tops the list.
People with sleep apnea and insomnia tend to be the highest depressed group of people, and dealing with this kind of depression would involve sorting out the sleep problems first.
Boosts the Immune System’s Function
Getting enough sleep can help improve the function of the immune system. You would only understand the effects of sleep on your immune system when you deprive your body of it. Until then, most people would believe that long hours of sleeping are for the lazy and the weak.
Good sleep helps strengthen the immune system and prevents you from developing minor conditions like cold and flu. In addition, eating garlic can also help add to the boosting and strengthening of the immune system.
Higher Risks of Inflammation
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to stress and illnesses. However, when it recurs very often, it means there is an underlying cause, which could be an illness. Poor sleep, according to research, may increase inflammatory markers, which would, in turn, lead to higher risks of severe health conditions. In addition, inflammation caused by poor sleep can lead to cell damage. Studies showed that people with Crohn’s disease who lack good sleep might experience a relapse more than those who have enough sleep. In addition, re-adjusting sleep patterns are one of the ways through which some health conditions can be reversed.
One of the most affected elements of the body is the digestive tract, which triggers bowel diseases. Therefore, when you give your body a good sleep, it means you are doing your health a great favor.
Tampers with Social Relationships
Lack of sleep can impede your communication and interaction with people. It can also lead to emotional problems. Mental stress can distance you from people as they might see you as too boring to deal with. In addition, studies found that people who sleep less might lack the ability to detect facial expressions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, sleeping for up to 8 hours per night is not a sign of weakness and laziness. It is important in building a healthy body, soul, and mind. Quality sleep may not only help you stay active all day, but it can also help you prevent, improve and cure certain health conditions. Thus, a healthy sleep pattern equals a healthy body, soul, and mind. Other things that can improve health is a healthy diet, as well as other healthy habits and lifestyle.
