A good night's sleep is extremely important for your health. In fact, this is just as important as a balanced, nutritious diet and exercise. Although the sleep needs vary from person to person, most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.
Sleep deprivation can put your health and safety at risk, which is why it is important to prioritize and protect your sleep on a daily basis.
This article tells you 9 reasons why you should sleep more:
1. Helps you maintain or reduce your weight.
Numerous studies link short sleep — less than 7 hours a night — with a greater risk of weight gain and a higher body mass index (BMI)..
In fact, an analysis from 2020 found that adults who sleep less than 7 hours a night have a 41% increased risk of developing obesity. Meanwhile, longer sleep does not increase the risk.
It is believed that the effect of sleep on weight gain is influenced by multiple factors, including hormones and motivation for exercise. For example, sleep deprivation increases ghrelin levels and decreases leptin levels. Ghrelin is a hormone that makes us feel hungry, while leptin makes us feel full. This may make us feel hungrier and overeat. This is supported by various studies that show that people with sleep deprivation have a greater appetite and tend to consume more calories.
Moreover, to compensate for the lack of energy, sleep deprivation may make you crave foods that are higher in sugar and fat due to their higher calorie content. Therefore, prioritizing sleep undoubtedly helps maintain a healthy body weight.
2. It can improve concentration and productivity.
Sleep is important for various aspects of brain function. Cognitive abilities, concentration, productivity, and performance are negatively affected by sleep deprivation.
A specific study on fatigued doctors provides a good example. It has been established that doctors with moderate, severe, and very severe sleep-related impairment are 54%, 96%, and 97% more likely to report clinically significant medical errors.
Moreover, getting enough sleep can improve academic performance in children, adolescents, and young adults. Finally, it has been proven that good sleep enhances problem-solving skills and improves memory in both children and adults.
3. It can maximize athletic performance.
It has been proven that sleep improves sports performance.
Numerous studies show that sufficient sleep can improve fine motor skills, reaction time, muscle strength, muscle endurance and problem-solving skills.
Moreover, lack of sleep can increase the risk of injury and reduce your motivation to exercise. So getting enough sleep may be just what you need to take your performance to the next level.
4. It may strengthen your heart.
Poor sleep quality and duration may increase the risk of developing heart disease.
A review of 19 studies found that sleeping less than 7 hours a day leads to a 13% increased risk of death from heart disease.
Another analysis found that compared to 7 hours of sleep, each 1 hour reduction in sleep is associated with a 6% increased risk of mortality from various causes, including heart disease.
. Moreover, short sleep seems to increase the risk of high blood pressure, especially in those with obstructive sleep apnea – a condition characterized by interruptions in breathing during sleep.
In fact, a study found that people who sleep less than 5 hours a night have a 61% higher risk of developing high blood pressure compared to those who sleep 7 hours. Interestingly, excessive sleep in adults – more than 9 hours – has also been shown to increase the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.
5. Affects sugar metabolism and the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Short sleep is associated with a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance – when your body cannot properly use the hormone insulin.
In fact, an analysis of 36 studies with over 1 million participants found that very short sleep of less than 5 hours and short sleep of less than 6 hours increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 48% and 18%, respectively..
It is believed that sleep deprivation can cause physiological changes such as reduced insulin sensitivity, increased inflammation, and changes in hunger hormones, as well as behavioral changes like poor decision-making and increased food intake – all of which increase the risk of diabetes. Moreover, sleep deprivation is associated with a higher risk of developing obesity, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome. These factors also increase the risk of diabetes.
6. Insufficient sleep is closely related to depression.
"Mental health issues, such as depression, are closely related to poor sleep quality and sleep disturbances."
A study involving 2672 participants found that those with anxiety and depression were more likely to report worse sleep outcomes than those without anxiety and depression.
In other studies, people with sleep disorders such as insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea also report higher levels of depression than those without.
If you have sleep problems and notice that your mental health has deteriorated, it is important to talk to your healthcare professional.
7. Supports a healthy immune system.
It has been proven that lack of sleep impairs immune function.
In a study, participants who sleep less than 5 hours a night are 4.5 times more likely to develop a cold compared to those who sleep more than 7 hours. Those who sleep 5-6 hours are 4.24 times more likely.
Some data also suggest that proper sleep may improve your body's antibody response to flu vaccines. Recent preliminary data suggest that sufficient sleep before and after vaccination against COVID-19 may enhance the vaccine's efficacy. "More research is still needed to better understand this possible connection."
8. The bad sleep is associated with increased inflammation.
The bad sleep can have a big effect on inflammation in the body.
Sleep plays a key role in regulating our central nervous system. "In particular, it is involved in the stress response systems known as the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis."
It is known that sleep loss, especially from disrupted sleep, activates inflammatory signaling pathways and leads to higher levels of unwanted inflammatory markers, such as interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein. Over time, chronic inflammation can lead to the development of many chronic conditions, including obesity, heart disease, certain types of cancer, Alzheimer's disease, depression, and type 2 diabetes.
9. Affects emotions and social interactions.
The loss of sleep reduces your ability to regulate emotions and to communicate socially.
When we are tired, it is harder for us to control our emotional outbursts and behavior in front of others. Fatigue can also affect our ability to respond to humor and show empathy. Moreover, those who are chronically sleep-deprived are more likely to withdraw from social events and experience loneliness.
Prioritizing sleep can be a key way to improve your relationships with others and help you become more social. "If you are experiencing loneliness or emotional outbursts, do not hesitate to reach out to a friend, family member, or health professional for support."
The conclusion…
"Along with nutrition and exercise, taking care of your sleep is one of the pillars of health."
Lack of sleep is associated with many negative health consequences, including an increased risk of heart disease, depression, weight gain, inflammation, and illness.
Although individual needs vary, most studies show that you should sleep between 7 and 9 hours a night for optimal health. "Just as you prioritize your diet and physical activity, it's time to give sleep the attention it deserves."
Explore our store and discover the most suitable products for you that will create the dream comfort and coziness for quality sleep. for Try this today: Next week, keep track of how many hours of sleep you get each night. If it is less than 7, try to go to bed 30 minutes earlier every day for the next week. Gradually increase this until you get at least 7 hours a night.
Source: healthline.com; "Reasons to get more sleep", Joe Leech, MS – Jan 6, 2022
