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Getting enough sleep is essential for helping a person maintain optimal health and well-being. When it comes to their health, sleep is as vital as regular exercise and eating a balanced diet. Modern-day living in the United States and many other countries does not always embrace the necessity for adequates sleep. Yes, it is important that people make an effort to get enough sleep regularly.
The following are some of the many benefits health professionals associate with getting a good night's rest. 1. BETTER PRODUCTIVITY AND CONCENTRATION  Research has linked getting enough sleep to better concentration, productivity, and cognition. There are several studies that scientist did in the early 200s that looked at the effects of sleep deprivation. When researchers concluded is that sleep had links to several brain functions, including:
2. LOWER WEIGHT GAIN RISK The link between weight gain and obesity and short sleep patterns is not completely clear. There have been several studies throughout the years that have linked obesity and poor sleep patterns. However, a more recent study in the journal Sleep Medicine concludes that there is no link between overweight and sleep deprivation. This research argues that many previous studies fail to account adequately for other factors, such as:
3. BETTER CALORIE REGULATION Similarly to gaining weight, there is evidence to suggest that getting a good nights sleep can help a person consume fewer calories during the day. For example, one study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of AMerica says that sleep patterns affect the hormones responsible for appetite. When a person does not sleep long enough, oit can interfere with their body's ability to regulate food intake correctly. 4. GREATER ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE  Getting a sufficient amount of sleep can boost a person's athletic performance. According to National Sleep Foundation, adequate sleep for adults is between 7 and 9 hours a night, and athletes may benefit as many as 10 hours. Accordingly, sleep is as important to athletes as consuming enough calories and nutrients. One of the reasons for this requirement is that body heals during sleep. Other benefits include:
One risk factor for heart disease is high blood pressure. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), getting adequate rest each night allows the body's blood pressure to regulate itself. Doing so can reduce the chances of sleep-related conditions such as apnea and promote better overall heart health. 6. MORE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE Sleep has links to people's emotional and social intelligence. Someone who does not get adequate sleep is more likely to have issues with recognizing other people's emotions and expressions. For example, one study in the Journal of Sleep Research looks at people's responses to emotional stimuli. The researchers concluded, similarly to many earlier studies, that a person's emotional empathy is less when they do not get adequate sleep. 7. PREVENTING DEPRESSION The association between sleep and mental health has been the subject of research for a long time. One conclusion is that there is a link between lac of sleep and depression. A study appearing in JAMA Psychiatry examines patterns of death by suicide over 10 years. It concludes that lack of sleep is a contributing factor to many of these deaths. Another study in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry suggest that people with sleep disorders such as insomnia are likely to show signs of depression. There is a link between getting adequate sleep and reducing inflammation in the body. For example, as study in the World Journal of GAstroenterology suggests a link between sleep deprivation and inflammatory bowel diseases that affect people's gastrointestinal tract. The study showed that sleep deprivation can contribute to these diseases - and that these diseases, in turn, can contribute to sleep deprivation. However, scientist still need to do further research into the exact mechanisms o sleep in regards to its impact on the body's immune system. SLEEP RECOMMENDATIONS  Spending more time outside can improve sleep quality. Sleep needs vary from person to person, depending on their age. As a person ages, they typically require less sleep to function properly. According to the CDC. the breakdown is as follows:
Sleep is a vital, often neglected, component of every persons overall health and well being. Sleep is important because it enables the body to repair and be fit and ready for another day. Getting adequate rest may also help prevent excess weight gain, heart disease, and increased illness duration. |
