7 Reasons to Get a Better Night's Sleep

Did you know sleeping is just as vital and essential for our bodies just as exercise and eating well are? Sleep is an essential, often neglected, component of every person’s health. According to sleepadvisor, 35% of adults don’t get enough sleep (7 hours per day) according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lack of sleep costs the United States over $411 Billion Annually, reported by Fortune Magazine. Sleep helps repair and restore the natural body to be rested enough and ready for another day. As you drift into sleep, your body gets to work. Through every sleep cycle, the body heals damaged cells, boots your immune system, and recharges your heart and cardiovascular system for the next day’s activities. Credible sources such as, MedicalNewsToday.com and Healthline.com explain 7 reasons why sleeping is beneficial to our health.

Better Productivity & Concentration

Researchers have conducted a series of studies that state sleep is linked to several major brain functions including: concentration, productivity, and cognition.

A 2015 study in the Journal of Child Psycology and Psychiatry showed that childrens sleep patterns can have direct impact on their behavior and academic performance (Fletcher 2019).

Sleep loss highly alters normal functioning of attention and disrupts the ability to focus on environmental sensory input (Davis 2018).

2. Lower Weight Gain Risk

Lack of sleep affects a person’s ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you are not getting an adequate amount of sleep every night, odds are you will feel grumpy, tiresome, and fatigue the next day, thus instead of being well-rested enough to go workout, you will want to crawl back in your bed.

Research suggests there is a link between obesity and sleep deprivation. Data shows that 13% of children and 5% of adults who are obese, could be due to short sleep patterns according to thegoodbody.com.

3. Better Calorie Regulation

Getting a good night’s sleep can help a person consume fewer calories during the day. A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America states that sleep patterns affect the hormones responsible for appetite.

4. Greater Athletic Performance

According to the National Sleep Foundation, athletes may benefit from as many as 10 hours. This is because the body repairs itself when you sleep. Getting a sufficient amount of sleep benefits athletes by increasing performance intensity, more energy, better coordination, and faster speed.

5. Lower Risk of Heart Disease

Getting adequate rest each night allows the body’s blood pressure to properly regulate itself. High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), allowing the body to regulate itself can reduce the chances of apnea and promote better overall heart health.

6. Preventing depression

There is a link between lack of sleep and depression. Sleep disorders such as insomnia are likely to show signs of depression. According to a study in JAMA Psychiatry, they examine patterns of death by suicide over 10 years and it exemplifies the contributing factor to many of these deaths was lack of sleep.

According to thegoodbody.com, 75% of individuals who suffer from depression also suffer from sleep deprivation.

7. Stronger Immune System

Last but not least, better sleep at night can significantly help boost the immune system so the body can better fight off infection. Quality sleep will dramatically help repair, regenerate and recover the body.