One of the most important things we can do for our health is get adequate sleep!
I love to sleep. No, seriously LOVE to sleep. I don’t nap, but get a good 8 hours every night—with exception of a couple nights here and there (usually after air travel). I’m not a typical sleeper though—my head has to be under the covers—it just has to be. That’s just how I roll. When I don’t get sleep, I’m miserable. I just feel off and don’t do well. I have a lot of respect for mothers who often sacrifice regular sleep to take care of their families.
One out of three Americans suffer from poor or insufficient sleep. Are you one of them? We’ve all heard that maintaining adequate amounts of quality sleep (7-9 hours) is essential to optimal health and well-being. But, why is quality sleep so important?
Many critical body functions happen during the sleep state:
- The creation and storage of new memories occurs, which is essential for learning new information.
- Hormones that help regulate appetite control, stress, growth and metabolism are released in your body.
- Internal organs rest and recover. Tissue repair and muscle growth largely happen during sleep.
The benefits of regular quality sleep include:
- Strengthened immune system which could make you less likely to get a cold after being exposed to a virus or help you recover from a cold faster. It can also help with chronic disease such as diabetes and heart disease.
- Heightened alertness and focus. Compare a morning after a good night sleep and bad night—you know what I mean.
- Sleep increases your sex drive. Need I say more?
- Improved mood by reducing anxiety and irritability. Go without good sleep for a few days and you’ll know what I’m talking about!
- Not only does regular sleep make you feel better, it also makes you look better (thus, the name beauty sleep). Since your body undergoes restoration activities while you’re sleeping, adequate sleep can help hair and skin health and give your face a healthy glow.
- Getting good sleep may help you lose weight. When you get good sleep you have more energy to exercise! With inadequate sleep, the levels of chemicals that tell your body when it’s full may be out of balance leading to weight gain. This may cause overeating even when you’ve had enough to eat. Research shows that children and adults that don’t get enough sleep tend to weigh more than those that get enough.
