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The Importance of Sleep

Sleep is one of those fundamental and often underestimated pillars of our well-being.

Our mind and body undergo the process of rejuvenation and repair during these peaceful hours of rest.

Sleep is a vital function that plays a crucial role in maintaining physical health, cognitive health, and even longevity, to give a few examples.

Let us explore together the transformative power of a good night’s rest and why it should be a priority:

Sleep helps with our Physical Health

While sleeping, our blood pressure goes down, supplying our hearts and blood vessels with much-deserved rest.

The less rest we get, the longer our blood pressure stays up during a 24-hour cycle.

High blood pressure is a chronic disease that can lead to heart disease, and also stroke.

Inadequate rest can have profound consequences for our physical health and can lead to conditions including:

• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Heart problems

Sleeping strengthens our Immune System

During sleep, our bodies create proteins called cytokines, which strengthen our immune system and provide energy for our white blood cells

Insufficient sleep diminishes the production of a crucial immune-boosting chemical, leaving us more susceptible to viral and bacterial attacks as our immune system weakens.

Better Physical Performance

Another benefit to getting good sleep is that it can help us to improve our exercise performance.

Getting proper rest means simply that the different components in our brains can recover their energy so that they can perform at their best.

This keeps the muscles and organ systems in sync with one another.

Getting adequate sleep regularly can therefore help improve our:

• Muscle strength
• Reaction times

Getting Sufficient Rest Increases Cognitive Functions

Studies show that sleep has links to several brain functions, including:

Memory:  We are fresher and have greater ease when it comes to memory when we get a good night’s rest, insufficient sleep may affect memory processing and formation.

Performance: Sleeping well regularly allows us to be more alert and clear-headed.

Our performance in every setting is affected by sleep disruption.

This includes our focus, our emotions, our decision-making, our risk-taking behavior, and our judgment.

Cognition: During sleep, our body is working to support healthy brain functions. By affecting stress hormones, sleep disruption may affect understanding.

A recent finding associated being tired as one of the leading causes of fatal car crashes.   

Sleeping Well Helps Keep Our Emotions in Check

Researchers found that the quality of our rest and our mood are closely related.

We’re better able to control our emotions and behavior when well-rested.

We tend to experience mood swings when we lack sleep and children may have tantrums or trouble getting along with others under the same condition.

Sleep deficiency is also linked to depression, suicide, and risky behavior. 

How much sleep is enough?

Adequate sleep is likely to vary and is likely to be also dependent on an individual’s age :

• Newborns (0-3 months): 14-17 hours    
• Infants (4-11 months):  12-15 hours  
• Toddlers (1-2 years):  11-14 hours  
• Preschoolers (3-5): 10-13 hours  
• School-age children (6-13): 9-11 hours
• Teenagers (14-17):  8-10 hours  
• Younger adults (18-25):  7-9 hours  
• Adults (26-64): 7-9 hours
• Older adults (65+):  7-8 hours

Source: The National Sleep Foundation

How do we improve our Sleep?

Have a bedtime routine: We must avoid bright lights, large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bed. A nice hot bath for example can do the trick.

Manage your diet: Ensuring that we do not go to bed hungry, or feeling over-full is also essential.

It is always a good practice to avoid eating large meals within a couple of hours of heading to bed, as this could cause discomfort and indigestion, which might keep us up.

Exercise during the day: This can help us to unwind in the evenings and help us get good rest.

Sleeping supplements are known to improve our nightly rest.

Conclusion

We think it is important to stress that sleeping more than 9 hours a night regularly may do more harm than good.

Some studies show people who slept longer than 9 hours had more calcium buildup in their heart arteries and less flexible leg arteries, too.

In short, getting good rest equals good health.

For good practice aim for 7-8 hours of slumber each night for peak health benefits.

How do you prioritize your rest?