Why Do You Need to Sleep: 20 Positive Effects of Having a Good Night’s Rest –
Getting a good night’s sleep is important. The National Sleep Foundation suggests sleeping for 7 to 9 hours a night. However, not everyone is getting the required number of hours every night.
When you are sleep deprived or you are suffering from a sleep disorder, your risk for depression increases as well. You are more likely to experience higher levels of stress, too.
Why is sleep so important? Here are 20 facts about the positive effects of sleep.
Physical
1. Can enough sleep prevent you from getting deadly diseases?
Yes, enough sleep can prevent you from getting deadly diseases. Getting lack of sleep can lower your risk of acquiring chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and urinary issues. A good night’s sleep can also lower your blood pressure and sugar, which are main risk factors for diabetes, stroke, and high blood pressure.
2. Is better skin connected with getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep?
Yes, better skin is connected with getting more sleep. The study Does Poor Sleep Quality Affect Skin Ageing shows that lack of sleep is associated with the increasingly visible signs of aging, diminished skin functions, and lower overall satisfaction with the physical appearance. A person who gets 7 to 9 hours of sleep has a lower sign of skin aging.
3. Does adequate sleep help build your muscles easier?
Yes, adequate sleep can help building your muscles easier. Proper rest can make the muscles in your body recuperate and regenerate new tissues, helps you to trim excess fats and build new muscles.
According to an article in Bodybuilding, during your sleep, growth muscles is produced and protein synthesis occurs. Your energy consumption is reduced and your brain cells are restored.
4. Can you gain weight while sleeping?
No, you cannot gain weight while sleeping. In fact, adequate sleep helps in controlling your weight easier. The study Short Sleep Duration and Weight Gain: A Systematic Review showed that there is a link between weight gain and short sleep duration. People who are sleep deprived and sleep less than 5 hours a night had a 30% higher risk of gaining 30 pounds.
5. Does sleep reduce your risk of chronic diseases?
Yes, adequate sleep lower down your overall risk of chronic diseases. An article from the Harvard Medical School showed that adjusting your sleep can help reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases or may also lessen the severity of an ongoing disease.
Sleep affects your body’s ability to fight inflammation. During your sleep, the body produces the hormone cytokine that helps fight infection.
Psychological
6. Can sleep make you less lazy?
Yes, sleep can make you less lazy. Getting adequate sleep can give you enough energy to complete your goals for the body. The research The Effect of Sleep Loss on Next Day Effort posits that people who suffer sleep loss show a preference for tasks that only require minimal effort the next day.
Going to sleep the same time every night can also result in a good night’s rest. Sticking to a scheduled sleep time can allow the circadian rhythm of your body to be more regulated, making you feel more refreshed and focus on the task as soon as you wake up.
7. Is sleep an important factor in helping you focus on your daily tasks?
Yes, sleep is an important factor in helping you focus on your daily tasks, whether it is for your school, work or house. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute posits that shuteye can help you remain alert and sharp throughout the day. It will help your to-do list more manageable.
8. Can sleep help cleanse your brain?
Yes, sleep can help cleanse your brain. When you sleep, the brain clears itself of trash or bad toxins that it accumulates over time.
The mice study entitled Sleep Drives Metabolite Clearance from the Adult Brain suggested that sleep helps in restoring the brain by flushing out the toxins that build up during waking hours. The glymphatic system also helps remove the toxic protein, beta-amyloid, in the brain. This protein is known to accumulate in the brain of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
9. Can your mind slow down even with just one night of insufficient sleep?
Yes, your mind can slow down even with just one night of insufficient sleep. Sleeping for seven to nine hours every night consistently allows the information from one area of your brain to another to travel smoothly. As a result, your memory which handles the decision-making and problem-solving performs normally. It also helps your brain’s alertness, attention span, and concentration by the time you wake up.
10. Does stress affect your sleep level?
Yes, stress affects your sleep level. However, enough sleep It helps you effectively handle your stress.
Cognitive
11. Is getting more hours of sleep helping students in getting better grades at school?
Yes, getting more hours of sleeping help students in getting better grades at school. Students getting B marks or better get 17 to 33 minutes more sleep during school nights and 1.8 hours later on the weekends. They also go to bed 10 to 50 minutes earlier than students with C ratings and below.
12. What is the best time for the teenagers to go to bed to get better grades?
Teenagers, aged 16 to 19, who go to bed between 10 to 11 PM have the best grades on average.
13. Can you improve your memory with proper sleep?
Yes, you can improve your memory with poor sleep. An article from the Harvard Medical School showed that one of the benefits of sleep can happen in two stages, the non-REM and REM, and is associated with memory consolidation. Getting sufficient amount of sleep after learning new things or skills is important in retaining the information.
14. Can sleep boost your creativity?
Yes, sleep can boost your creativity. Other than consolidating memory, getting adequate sleep may result in more creativity, too.
According to the book Live 1,000 Years, the researchers from Boston College and Harvard University found that a good night’s sleep can consolidate, reorganize, restructure, and strengthen your memory’s emotional components to spur the creative process.
15. Does adequate sleep aids in clearer thinking?
Yes, adequate sleep aids in clearer thinking. The study conducted by Alhola and Polo-Kantola showed that getting adequate sleep results in clearer mind and better cognitive function during the day. Sleep deprivation can impair your working memory, attention, vigilance, memory, and decision-making.
Emotional
16. Is getting at least an extra hour of rest every night make you happier?
Yes, getting at least one extra hour of rest each night has an equivalent effect on your happiness as making an extra $60,000 per year for your salary.
17. Does your relationship improve because of quality sleep?
Yes, your relationship improves because of quality sleep. When you have enough sleep, you have a good sense of humor. If you have lesser sleep, you inhibit communication in your relationship and can cause more fights. Improving your sleep can also result in a healthier sex drive, especially for women.
Longer sleep is related to a greater sexual desire. Every additional hour you sleep can be equal to 14% increase in sexual arousal. When your brain and body are both rested, you are ready and more willing to perform intimate or sexual acts that can help your relationship flourish more.
18. Can sleep contribute to a better mood?
Yes, getting enough quality sleep can contribute to your mood. If you don’t have enough sleep, you are more prone to feeling more tired and stress. Healthy sleep can enhance your overall well-being while inadequate sleep can cause the feeling of irritability.
19. Is sleep a helpful tool to ward off depression?
Yes, sleep is a helpful tool to ward off depression. Sleep makes you less likely to suffer from it. According to the National Sleep Foundation, depression affects at least 20 million Americans. Problems such as sleep apnea and insomnia are contributing to depressive disorders. Getting a good night’s rest is the best way to fight the feelings of gloominess.
20. Can you feel better after getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep?
Yes, getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep can make you feel better. Sleep allows your mind and body to rest at night. When you are refreshed, it is easier to be pleasant. Sleeping 7 to 9 hours gives you energy and a more positive outlook.
Sleep is important to living a healthy life as well as functioning at your best. The health benefits of adequate sleep are more than just increasing your energy levels; it benefits your cognitive, physical, emotional, and psychological systems. Sleep should be your first priority to maintain your well-being and quality of life.