8 Health Benefits of a Good Night’s Sleep for Anyone

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Everybody knows that a good diet and regular exercise are the two pillars of good health. However, most people fail to realize that a good night’s sleep is also essential to living a healthy life. It is recommended to get anywhere from seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Even one night of disturbed sleep can greatly impact your body, more so as you get older. Thus it is important to ensure that you get proper sleep every night without any disturbances. You can do so by going to bed early and rising up at a suitable time in the morning. Make sure that your bedroom is quiet and dark and that your bed is comfortable. This will help you avoid restlessness at night so that you can avail all the benefits of good quality sleep listed below.

Leads to a good mood and lifted spirits

Not getting enough sleep can make it harder for you to keep your emotions under control. You might feel very irritable and disgruntled the next day and spend your entire day in low spirits. However, this is nothing a good night’s sleep can’t fix, so you don’t have to worry. Try to take a short nap during the day to compensate for the lost sleep and patiently wait for the day to end. However, if you’re always agitated, moody, or depressed, even after a good night’s sleep, maybe there is a deeper problem, and you need professional help from a facility like Vista Pines Health to address the underlying issue.

It helps keep obesity at bay

Our bodies produce various hormones that are responsible for different bodily functions. Two of the hormones are leptin and ghrelin. The former is responsible for making you feel full after a meal, and the latter gives rise to the feeling of hunger when it’s time for you to eat. However, lack of sleep can interfere with the levels of these hormones in our body and lead to our overeating because of excessive feelings of hunger and not knowing when we’re full. If unchecked, this can lead to obesity and many other health issues.

Reduces risk of heart problems

High blood pressure seems a common problem most people suffer from these days. It can be very detrimental to the function of your organs if it isn’t kept in check. Most people fail to realize that getting a good night’s sleep can greatly help lower their blood pressure. People who fail to do that trigger stress hormones in their bodies, which increase their heart rate and blood pressure. This can put them at risk of a stroke or heart attack. It can also cause calcification in the coronary arteries, which are the arteries that supply blood to the heart. Calcification can reduce blood flow through these arteries, compromising the oxygen supply to the heart.

It helps manage insulin levels

Insulin is another very important hormone that our body naturally produces. It is produced by the pancreas and regulates glucose levels in our blood. Lack of sleep can affect insulin production and how your body interacts with the hormone. This can lead to a rise in your glucose levels which puts you at risk of developing diabetes. People who already have diabetes are at an even greater risk as high glucose levels can have serious repercussions for the body.

Good for your immune system

Your immune system is responsible for creating the cells in your body that help fight infection. When you sleep, the number of these cells is at its peak. So when you don’t get enough sleep, your immune system fails to produce the required number of cells. This can leave you vulnerable to infections and other health conditions. If this lack of sleep goes on for a long time, you start to lack important cells that you need to fight illnesses. This can lead to persistent inflammation in most of your body, which is the precursor to many health conditions.

Leads to improved cognitive performance

Most people know that a good night’s sleep is imperative if you aim to accomplish anything the next day. Everything on your schedule, from the smallest house chores to the most serious work commitments, might not be possible to accomplish if you fail to sleep soundly. You will be unable to concentrate, make anything creative or learn anything new. Hence, get enough sleep every night to give your best the next day.

Essential for memory processing

When you are sleeping, you go through REM and non-REM sleep cycles. The non-REM sleep comes first, followed by REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. It is said that during the third non-REM cycle of your sleep, your brain starts working to organize your memories. The following REM stage helps to cement the memories further. This means that if you don’t get enough sleep, you will seriously damage your brain’s memory processing, leading you to forget important things.

Conclusion

A good night’s sleep is really beneficial for your health as it can uplift your mood and set the tone for your entire day. Getting enough sleep can reduce the risk of heart problems and obesity. It is good for your immune system, so your body is ready to fight any infection. Insulin levels are also managed better after a good night’s sleep. Enough rest and sleep are essential for memory processing and enhancing cognitive performance. They are also greatly important for children and adolescents to grow into healthy adults.