The Benefits of Resolving Your Sleep Issues
The Art of Sleep for Adults by Annika Brindley
The benefits of solving your sleep challenges once and for all are well studied and well documented. Getting a consistently good night’s sleep is key for your mental, emotional and psychological well-being.
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Sharper brain: sleep plays a big part in both learning and memory. Without enough sleep, it’s tough to focus and take in new information.
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Sleep reduces stress: when you are deprived of sleep, your body releases stress hormones and you can end up feeling anxious until you get the rest you need.
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Mood booster: who is not more irritable when they have not slept well? Irritability and crankiness will inevitably impact your relationships and your overall mood.
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Healthier heart: the less sleep you get, the longer your blood pressure stays up during a 24-hour cycle. High blood pressure can lead to heart disease, including stroke. Sleep is essential to giving your heart the rest it needs.
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Steadier blood sugar: when you sleep, the amount of glucose in your blood drops. Not enough time in this deepest stage means you don’t get that break to allow a reset -- like leaving the volume turned up. Your body will have a harder time responding to your cells’ needs and blood sugar levels.
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Sleep helps executive functioning: executive functioning involves complex thinking, such as the ability to problem-solve, plan, and make decisions. Along with alertness and memory, executive function helps you with work, school, social interactions, and life in general. One night of sleep deprivation can impair executive function the next day.
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Germ fighting: on-going lack of sleep changes the way your immune cells work. They may not attack bacteria and viruses as quickly, and you may get sick more often.
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Weight control: sleep deprivation impacts the hormones in your brain (leptin and ghrelin) that control appetite. Well-rested people experience less hunger and have an easier time managing their weight.
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Sleep helps the body repair itself: sleep is a time when the body is hard at work repairing damage caused by stress, ultraviolet rays, and other harmful environmental exposures. Cells produce certain proteins while you sleep which form the building blocks for cells, allowing them to repair the damage of the day so you look and feel healthier.
