Regina Kamba11 Reasons to Get More Sleep
What exactly is sleep?
Sleep is an altered state of consciousness where we have limited interactions with our surroundings and are relatively quiet and still (depending on the stage of sleep). Sleep is essential to every process in the body, affecting our physical and mental functioning the next day, our ability to fight disease and develop immunity, and our metabolism and chronic disease risk.
Sleep is an essential function that allows your body and mind to recharge, leaving you refreshed and alert when you wake up. Healthy sleep also helps the body remain healthy and stave off diseases. Without enough sleep, the brain cannot function properly.
When you sleep, your body produces proteins called cytokines that have immune-boosting effects and serve as fuel for your white blood cells. Lack of sleep decreases the production of cytokines and makes you more susceptible to infections.
How much sleep do I need?
Most adults aged 18 to 60 years need 7 or more hours of good-quality sleep on a regular schedule each night, otherwise, they run the risk of becoming sleep deprived.
Getting enough sleep isn’t only about total hours of sleep. It’s also important to get good-quality sleep on a regular schedule so you feel rested when you wake up.
Why is getting enough sleep important?
1. Sleep Is Restorative
When you sleep, you allow your body to repair and rebuild. During this time, the body is able to clear debris from the lymphatic system, which boosts the immune system. While you sleep, there are many important processes that happen, including; muscle repair, protein synthesis, tissue growth, hormone release.
2. Sleep Reduces Stress
Sleep is a powerful stress-reliever. It improves concentration, regulates mood, and sharpens judgment and decision-making. A lack of sleep not only reduces mental clarity but our ability to cope with stressful situations. This is due, in part, to the impact of chronically high levels of cortisol.
Poor quality sleep or a lack of sleep altogether raises our cortisol levels. High cortisol levels are important in the short term, stimulating alertness and vigilance, raising heart rate and blood pressure, but over time it can cause systemic inflammation and disrupt our hormonal balance.
3. Sleep Improves your Memory and Performance
Sleep serves as an opportunity for the mind to process all the stimuli that we have taken in while we are awake. Sleep disruption may affect memory processing and formation. People’s performance at work, school, and other settings is affected by sleep disruption. This includes focus, emotional reactivity, decision-making, risk-taking behavior, and judgment.
4. Sleep Helps You Maintain a Healthy Body Weight
When you are sleep deprived your body alters the hormones that regulate hunger and appetite. These hormones include:
- Leptin: suppresses appetite by providing the sensation of satiety (feeling full)
- Ghrelin: triggers feelings of hunger.
Both of these hormones are thrown off when you are short on sleep – leptin goes down and ghrelin goes up. You are also more likely to make unhealthy lifestyle choices (including the choice of food) when you are tired.
5. Sleep is Important for your Mental Health
Sleep problems are very common in those with mental illness. Disrupted sleep is commonly seen as both a symptom and consequence of mental health disorders, although sleep deprivation is rarely treated as the cause of mental health conditions. Sleep disturbance may also impair emotional regulation and stability, as well as altering neural processes, which may all lead to symptoms of depression.
6. Sleep affects emotions and social interactions
Sleep loss reduces your ability to regulate emotions and interact socially. When we’re tired, we have a harder time controlling emotional outbursts and our behaviors in front of others. Tiredness may also affect our ability to respond to humor and show empathy.
Those who are chronically sleep-deprived are more likely to withdrawal from social events and experience loneliness. Prioritizing sleep may be a key way to improve your relationships with others and help you become more social.
7. Sleep Lower Risk of Heart Disease
One risk factor for heart disease is high blood pressure. Getting adequate rest each night allows the body’s blood pressure to regulate itself. Short sleep appears to increase the risk of high blood pressure, especially in those with obstructive sleep apnea – a condition characterized by interrupted breathing during sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep can also reduce the chances of sleep-related conditions such as apnea and promote better overall heart health. Organs need time to replenish and clear waste and they do it when the rest of your body is resting.
8. Sleep Promotes Stronger Immune System
Sleep helps the body repair, regenerate, and recover. The immune system is no exception to this relationship. Deep sleep is necessary for the body to repair itself and strengthen the immune system.
9. Sleep can Maximize Athletic Performance
Numerous studies have shown that adequate sleep can enhance fine motor skills, reaction time, muscular power, muscular endurance, and problem-solving skills
What’s more, lack of sleep may increase your risk of injury and lower your motivation to exercise.
10. Sleep Can improve Concentration and Productivity
Sleep is important for various aspects of brain function. Cognition, concentration, productivity, and performance are all negatively affected by sleep deprivation.
Good sleep has been shown to improve problem-solving skills and enhance memory performance in both children and adults.
11. Lack of sleep can be dangerous
Severe sleep deprivation increases your risk of getting in a car accident or being injured at work. It can greatly affect your ability to make critical decisions. Not getting enough sleep can be dangerous for yourself and others.
When we’re tired, our ability to focus on tasks, reflexes, and reaction times decreases. In fact, being severely sleep-deprived is comparable to having consumed excess alcohol.
In addition to increased risks associated with driving, lack of sleep may also increase the risk of workplace injury and errors
Why can’t I fall asleep?
Many things can make it harder for you to sleep, including:
- Stress or anxiety
- Pain
- Certain health conditions, like heartburn or asthma
- Some medicines
- Caffeine (usually from coffee, tea, and soda)
- Alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs
- Untreated sleep disorders, like sleep apnea or insomnia
If you have trouble falling or staying asleep, feeling tired after a good night sleep, sleepiness during the day that you cannot concentrate, you might need to talk to a doctor.
How to Improve Your Sleep
Given the importance of sleep to our health, it is important to make some lifestyle changes that will get you the 7 or more hours you need. Small changes to your nighttime routine can result in a huge health benefit. These include the following:
- Keep a comfortable sleep environment by ensuring you have the best mattress, best pillows, and best sheets for your sleep preferences and body type. Also make sure your bedroom is dark and quite
- Keep a regular sleep/wake schedule and stick to it every night
- Consider a “screen ban” on televisions, computers and tablets, cell phones, and other electronic devices in your bedroom
- Don’t drink or eat caffeine four to six hours before bed and minimize daytime use
- Don’t smoke, especially near bedtime or if you awake in the night
- Avoid alcohol and heavy meals before sleep
- Get regular exercise, this can help you wind down in the evening and prepare for sleep
- Minimize noise, light and excessive hot and cold temperatures where you sleep
- Attempt to go to bed earlier every night for certain period; this will ensure that you’re getting enough sleep
In Conclusion
Along with nutrition and exercise, taking care of your sleep is one of the pillars of health. Sleep is truly interdisciplinary because it touches every aspect of health. Getting enough sleep is essential for maintaining optimal health and well-being.
Lack of sleep is associated with many negative health effects, including increased risk of heart disease, depression, weight gain, inflammation, and sickness.
