An average person requires up to 8 hours of sleep. When we sleep, we give the body an opportunity to repair and replenish the energy we lost. Rest is just as important as working out, going to work or eating. Lack of sleep accumulates and creates sleep debt. Having enough sleep makes a person happier while lack of sleep can lead to depression, stress, obesity and lack of energy.
Here are the reasons why we need to sleep?
- Regulates appetite and controlling weight gain.
- Keeps heart health in check
- Controls immune system
- Controls metabolism
- Reduces depression
- Enhances memory formation
- Improves social interactions
- Reduces accidents
Let’s look at these reasons in detail
Regulates appetite and controlling weight gain
A study shows that staying awake at night leads to unhealthy eating habits. Late sleepers are generally associated with bigger appetite. The more time you stay awake, the higher the chances of consuming more food without work out. Sleeping earlier makes you escape this habit leading a healthier lifestyle.
Less sleep makes the body to release the leptin and ghrelin hormones that communicate with the brain and gives a signal when we are full or not. Shorter sleeping periods stimulates them to lie about hunger and fullness. Leptin reduces due to lack of sleep making you feel hungry and snack at night.
Insulin is also production is affected due to lack of sleep. When produced in higher levels it leads to increased blood sugar levels causing storage of fats that make you look heavier.
Some people also tend to eat too close to bedtime not allowing time for digestion; hence the food gets stored as fats. Genetically shorter hours of sleep is associated with weight gain while more extended hours of sleep leads to good health.
Keeps heart health in check
The American heart foundation has linked heart health to sleep. Lack of enough sleep has led to increased risk of heart diseases.
Studies show that men who do not get enough sleep for eight years are likely to get congestive heart failure. The heart is denied the opportunity to attain the required beats that enable it to pump blood hence causing heart failure eventually.
When we get the recommended sleep of eight hours in a day, the heart gets a chance to balance the heart rates and blood pressure. It can carry out its function of pumping oxygenated blood to the rest of the body for good health. Adequate sleep lowers the risk of heart disease.
Controls immune system
The immune system gives us immunity against diseases. While we sleep, it produces Cytokines which is an excellent infection-fighting substance. Cytokines fight foreign viruses and bacteria that invade our body making us feel sick
Too little or no sleep at all leads to a weakened immune system. A weak immune system is therefore unable to fight diseases effectively making you contract diseases easily. The immune system has stripped the chance to build defenses for your body making it take long to recover. The possibility of contracting more chronic diseases like cancer or diabetes increases.
With a good mattress like Denver mattresses which are known for great firmness, you get to have a good night sleep giving your immune system an opportunity to recover.
Reduces depression
According to the American Psychological Association, out of the total number of 90% of people with depression, lack of sleep was their common complaint. Psychologists also concur that Most of the people who have also committed suicide showed signs of lack of sleep.
When we lack sleep, we do not have the opportunity to relax and calm down after a long day of running up and down. Our stressful lifestyle stress accumulates in our memory causing stress and eventually depression when not addressed. It is also possible that if you are experienced insomnia, you are already stressed
Getting enough sleep creates an opportunity to close our eyes and relax for eight hours hence recreating our energy for a more relaxed outlook of our unique situations. Adequate energy reduces stress and eventually depression.
Enhances memory formation
The brain is one part of the body that keeps it running. Sleep makes the mind relax and remember new information acquired
When the mind is starved of sleep this information way is blocked and can make you more forgetful. It also renders your brain very exhausted and your head heavy. An exhausted mind is unable to process new information making you unable to concentrate either at work or school.
Lack of concentration leads to decreased performance hence frustration. Frustration leads to increased mood swings and impatience.
Improves social interactions
People who are deprived of sleep are unable to identify facial expressions such as anger and happiness. Overcrowding of the central nervous system causes the breakdown of the information processing system.
People who do not sleep well are also angry as a way of retaliation. Anger makes them unapproachable for interaction since people already expect the worst from them by the look on their faces
A person who has adequate sleep is happier and more relaxed to approach. The non-verbal cues portray their willingness to interact. Enough sleep improves social interactions.
Reduces accidents
A study has shown that 20 % of road accidents are caused by drowsy drivers every year. Rosy driving is a critical effect of lack of adequate sleep. As we mentioned earlier, the lack of sleep leads to sleep debt accumulation. Deprivation for rest for an hour creates room for sleep revenge for recovering the lost time.
When a driver gets little sleep during the time they are supposed to rest, they end up recovering that time when they are driving causing accidents
Adequate sleep means no sleep debt. When there is no sleep debt, the driver is not likely to get drowsy which means our roads get to have more alert drivers reducing the number of accidents.
Conclusion
Lack of enough sleep brings more bad than good. Unfortunately, people are now sleeping less than required due to the quite evidence of lifestyle choices. However, eating well and adopting regular workout is in vain without enough sleep. If you’re looking to change up your bedding, check out Chiropedic for great queen mattresses.