I would assume that, like my household, your sleep schedule can fluctuate and some nights you don’t get the amount of rest you need. Staying up late with kids, using the quiet time to get caught up on your responsibilities of the week, or tossing and turning with a to-do list filtering through your head is exhausting and often takes time away from your sleeping hours. Giving your body the adequate time to rest and recharge benefits you in more ways than just not waking up groggy at 7 AM.
Sleep is so important to your health which is why we have an entire post dedicated to just that. Make it a priority for yourself! Getting a good night’s sleep is like giving your body a thank you card.
Here is a list of the many benefits you gain from getting enough of those ZZZs:
- Poor sleep is linked to higher body weight
- Lack of sleep is actually the strongest risk factor for obesity!
- Good sleepers eat fewer calories
- Sleep-deprivation causes appetite hormones to fluctuate which can lead to poor appetite regulation
- Good sleep can improve concentration and productivity
- Short sleep can impact aspects of brain function similarly to alcohol intoxication
- Good sleep improves problem-solving skills and memory performance for both children and adults
- Good sleep can maximize athletic performance
- Less sleep is linked to poor exercise performance and functional limitation in older women
- Poor sleep increases your risk of health complications
- Risk of heart disease and stroke are higher for those who do not get adequate sleep
- Poor sleep is linked to depression
- Many mental health issues arise with poor sleep, such as depression, which is present in about 90% of patients that are diagnosed
- Sleep affects glucose metabolism and type 2 diabetes risk
- A study found that restricting sleep to 4 hours per night causes symptoms of prediabetes; these symptoms were resolved after one week of increased sleep duration
- Sleep improves your immune function
- Do I really need to explain this one in the middle of a global pandemic?
- Poor sleep is linked to increased inflammation
- Just as yoga is used to decrease bodily inflammation, sleep has a major effect on inflammation in your body
- Lack of sleep can lead to increased inflammation in the digestive tract, such as in inflammatory bowel disease
- Sleep affects emotions and social interactions
- Lack of sleep has been linked to the inability to understand social cues and others emotions
So tonight, don’t have that glass (or bottle) of wine before bed. Try a new nightly routine to decompress before bed, read a book, practice mindfulness meditation, or any other method to relax your mind and body before putting it to rest. Get a full 8 hours of sleep and see how much better you feel in the morning.
If you’re still struggling with getting enough sleep, check out these articles.
Healthline: TIPS TO SLEEP BETTER
Harvard: 8 SECRETS TO A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP