REASONS WHY A GOOD SLEEP IS IMPORTANT
If you want to lead a healthfuller life, you should know that apart from exercising and having a nutritious diet, acquiring a good night’s rest is paramount. A night of proper sleep can affect the overall functioning of the body. This article discusses the pros and significance of getting a good night’s rest and the problems you may face with sleep deprivation.
What is sleep, and why is it so important?
Sleep is an altered condition of consciousness where you have limited interactions with the surroundings. Sleep and mental health are interrelated.
With a night of proper sleep, you would wake up feeling refreshed and not irritated, and you would look forward to the rest of the day and not drag yourself throughout the day. Sleep is vital to every process in the body.
At night your body gets rid of the toxins collected during the day, which influences your capacity to recover physically and mentally from the day’s work.
What happens if you are sleep deprived?
There are long term and short term problems associated with lack of sleep.
Short-term problems include lack of alertness, excessive daytime sleep, impaired memory, impact on relationships, pervasive mood swings, etc.
The long term problems are high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure or stroke, obesity, depression and most importantly, a reduced immune system function.
Either short or long term problems, in some cases, can be life-threatening. In case of lack of alertness, you could potentially cause or be a part of an unwanted car/road accident, while if you have depression or obesity, you are likely facing health issues that, in unfortunate circumstances, can lead to thoughts of self-harm.
Five reasons why a night of good sleep is important
1- Helps keep ails away
Various studies have shown that sleeping for fewer hours than required results in a 13 per cent increased risk of contracting fatal heart disease. Your body gets rid of the toxins while you are asleep, which helps the immune system recover and function better the next day.
2- Boost better emotional health
The symptoms of inadequate sleep are irritation, forgetfulness, fatigue and mood swings. These can easily result in an unwanted situation at work or in a relationship. With a better night’s rest, your emotional health would be better.
3- Improved physical health
Getting the required amount of sleep would decrease the chances of getting health issues from inflammation in the body to getting a severe heart disease. With proper rest, your body recovers from previous physical injuries on/in the body resulting in improved physical health.
4- Increased productivity
Proper sleep boosts brain function, which is vital for your brain to work optimally. If your brain thinks you haven’t got enough rest, it will send signals to your body telling it that it’s tired, resulting in decreased productivity. Studies have shown that proper rest refreshes the brain and improves productivity.
5- Keeps weight in control
There has been some research that explains that if a person is well-rested, they feel less hungry. This doesn’t mean they don’t consume the required amount of food to regulate; instead, it means no over-eating at random hours like cravings for eating junk food.
Sleep disorders
Certain sleeping disorders make it difficult to get sleep at night. In the case of insomnia, it is tough to fall asleep and then later stay asleep. In other instances in which certain medications cause you to stay awake at odd hours or anxiety or overthinking that keeps you awake can harm your health physically and mentally.
Sleep medications
Certain medications are used to initiate sleep and, in certain severe cases, help you stay asleep. Doctors usually prescribe medicines like Ambien and Zolpidem for patients with insomnia.
These medications work as a sedative that helps your body and brain relax, resulting in sleep initiation. However, sleep medications have a high chance of misuse or abuse, so it would be best to use them in moderation as prescribed by your doctor; you can also buy sleeping pills online.
Conclusion
Good sleep influences your mood and promotes growth. It impacts your life, from how you think to how you interact with others.
Irregular or incomplete sleep and sleep deprivation have been associated with cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, decreased mental capacity and poor motor coordination.
As unrecognized as the importance of sleep is in today’s time, it is essential to acknowledge the difference it causes and the impact it will have on a person’s daily life.
