Although most people know the importance of sleep, a lot of them still miss the recommended sleeping hours. They would rather spend their time completing work-related tasks, running their home and connecting with other people. For some other individuals, lack of sleep is a result of insomnia, cocaine and meth addiction.
Sleep is a crucial competent of achieving good health and well-being. By getting the proper amount of quality sleep, you’ll be able to protect your life, mental health, safety, and physical health.
The damage done by insufficient sleep can be felt in an instant or it can take time to accumulate before you notice. Before it starts to affect the way you learn, think and feel, here are some of the things you need to understand about getting proper sleep.
The Effects Of Sleep On Emotional Health and Brain Function
While you are asleep, your brain is hard at work helping you retain information and learn. Sleep helps it to work properly and gives it a chance to prepare for the next day.
Research demonstrates that a lack of sleep changes activity in some parts of your brain. This can leave you with difficulty in:
• Solving problems
• Coping with change
• Making decisions
• Controlling your behavior and emotions
Quality sleep improves learning. It helps you to be creative, remain focused and to make decisions.
Lack of sleep, on the other hand, is linked to suicide, depression, risk-taking behaviors and drug addiction. Adolescents and children with sleep deficiencies may have trouble getting along with other people. They:
• Feel depressed or sad
• Experience mood swings
• Are angry or impulsive
• Lack motivation
• Get lower grades
• Have difficulty paying attention
• Feel stressed and anxious
See Also: Get Strong, Sleep, Repeat: The Importance Of Sleeping
Sleep and Physical Health
In addition to giving your brain time to get sorted at night, sleep also helps your body to repair itself. During a good night’s sleep, your body repairs any damaged cells, especially in your heart and blood vessels. This is why ongoing sleep deficit is connected to an increased risk of:
• Kidney disease
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Diabetes
People who do not get enough quality sleep are also at a higher risk of obesity. Research shows that with each hour of lost sleep, a teenager increases his odds of becoming obese. That is true for other age groups too.
The hormones that make you hungry (ghrelin) or full (leptin) are balanced by sleep. When you fail to have proper rest, you experience an increase in ghrelin and a decrease in leptin. You will feel much hungrier than you would if you have gotten enough sleep.
The way that you process insulin, the hormone that controls your sugar level, is also affected by sleep. When you don’t sleep enough, you have a higher than normal level of blood sugar and this increases your risk of developing diabetes.
Your immune system depends upon sleep to function, too. Because this system helps your body to fight off harmful or foreign substances, you need it to work. Without proper sleep, you may not be able to fight off cold and other illness.
See Also: Are You Sleep Deprived? 8 Health Risks Of Poor Sleep
With the strong relationship between sleep and your overall wellbeing, it’s obvious that you need to make time to get enough rest. There is no single amount of sleep that is perfect for all people. Generally, experts recommend between seven and nine hours per night.
If you have a rough night, you need to make sure that you get back on track. Don’t let a sleep deficit build up. Getting proper rest may be the most important health decision that you make.
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Author: Maria Cristina Lopez
Melva A. Stamper is a passionate writer that regularly writes and blogs about health, wellness, fitness, lifestyle, parenting, self-improvement, relationship, addiction and best free rehab centers.
