Sleep is so important for your overall health, and If you suffer from bad sleep habits you may want to read below on the importance of a good sleep.
What are you thankful for? At this time of year, we think back and remember significant milestones like a new job, moving, graduating, and other important accomplishments. However, we sometimes forget to feel gratitude for the minor things that help us achieve greater things. One of these is getting a good night’s sleep. There are many reasons to be thankful for a long sleep.
Sleep improves cognitive function
Cognition, productivity, and concentration are all negatively affected by lack of sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep is known to improve focus, judgment, problem-solving, and academic performance.
Good for our mental health
Sleep is a natural mood booster. Studies have shown that insomnia is significantly associated with an increased risk of depression. Chronic sleep deprivation also causes elevated levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, in the bloodstream. Refreshing sleep can naturally reduce stress and restore the brain’s ability to regulate emotions.
Helps to build better immunity
When you contract an illness, your body naturally needs rest. Getting high-quality sleep works the same way on a nightly basis, lowering your risk of illness. Sleep helps the body recover, repair, and regenerate. Studies show that sleep can enable the body’s T-cells to fight infection more effectively, keeping your body stronger and healthier than those who are sleep deprived.
Assists in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight
Healthy sleep can affect your weight in numerous ways. Lack of sleep can contribute to lower energy levels and motivation to exercise, causing your body to compensate by craving foods that are higher in caloric intake. Getting a good night’s sleep can increase the level of leptin in your body, the hormone that makes us feel full, and decrease the level of ghrelin, the hormone that makes us hungry.
Healthy heart
During sleep, your body releases hormones that keep your heart and blood vessels healthy. Lack of sleep raises cortisol levels which can cause high blood pressure. Getting adequate rest allows the body’s blood pressure to regulate itself. High blood pressure can also be an indication of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. A good night’s sleep can reduce the risk of sleep-related conditions and promote better heart health.
Regulates blood sugar
Sleep helps regulate your metabolism or how your body converts food to energy. Sleep deprivation can cause problems with fluctuations in blood sugar levels. This can be problematic for individuals with diabetes or at risk of developing diabetes.
Better athletic performance
For those of us who exercise regularly or compete in sports, proper sleep has been known to enhance fine motor skills, reaction time, endurance, and muscular power. Conversely, lack of sleep can increase your risk of injury and lower your motivation.
Restoring your body
During sleep, our body is given the opportunity to recover from our daily life. Things like tissue repair, muscle growth, and inflammation are all affected by how much sleep we get. In addition, sleep helps maintain the vital functions that keep our bodies in shape.
Making memories
During sleep, your brain is still working hard consolidating memories, linking events, feelings, and sensory information. Lack of sleep will stop your brain from having enough time to store these memories, leading to trouble recalling details correctly. Your brain needs to catch up to be ready for the next day.
Thanksgiving – the best night of the year for sleep!
As we look forward to our annual “postprandial somnolence,” otherwise known as a “food coma,” we can all be thankful for the tryptophan present in our turkey dinner. This amino acid is converted to serotonin in the brain, which is responsible for making you feel tired.
We’ve discovered that getting a good night’s sleep makes us thankful for many things. Most importantly, gratitude is also associated with good sleep hygiene. Focusing on positive thinking and what you have to be grateful for before you go to sleep can help you overcome insomnia, reduce the time to fall asleep, and wake up less irritable and ready to take on the day!
If you’re one of those people that have a hard time getting a good night’s rest, and require additional assistance with improving your quality of sleep, please reach out to one of Snore MD’s highly trained dream team members
