Sleep is important for optimum health. Not only does sleep repair the body, it also refreshes the mind. During sleep, your brain remains active as it goes through different stages of sleep, repeatedly. Lack of concentration, coordination and memory are all negatively affected if you do not get enough sleep or enough good quality sleep.
Lack of sleep can cause:
- Mood disturbances;
- Poor memory;
- Poor concentration;
- Fatigue;
- Impaired judgement as well as reaction time;
- Poor physical coordination.
Attaining Good Sleep
In times of today, sleep deprivation is very common in the developed world. The average adults will sleep about 6-7 hours each night. On average, a typical adult will need at least 8 hours of sleep per night in order to for sleep to do its job effectively.
The most common sleep stealers in modern society include:
- Parenthood;
- Shift work;
- Technology and light in the bedroom. Research shows that sleep disturbances arise from computers, light from the alarm clock and IPhone, texting;
- Illness;
- Jetlag;
- Some medications;
- Poor slumber habits.
Reasons to Get More Sleep
- Better Health. Studies have found there is a link between insufficient sleep and decreased immunity;
- Less Pain. Getting enough sleep may actually create less pain if you have recently experienced chronic or acute pain from an injury. Research shows that getting good sleep can enhance the active ingredients in pain medication;
- Lower Risk of Accident. Research shows that there is a greater chance of a car accident when there is insufficient sleep and drowsy driving. When there has been sufficient sleep, there is also a lower chance of household accidents;
- Better Mood. When you are exhausted, you have probably noticed that you are more irritable and crabby. Your emotional regulation is also affected when you have not had enough sleep. For example you may cry more easily or generally are unable to handle certain situations as well as you could have.
- Increased Weight Control. Research shows that the less effective your sleep, the more likely you are to putting on weight. This is because when you are tired you have less energy for exercise, you also tend to snack more. The other reason is that when don’t get enough sleep, your leptin levels drop. Leptin is the hormone that plays an important role in helping you to feel full. Therefore, when you don’t get enough sleep, you are hungrier and so snack more.
Originally published on Feb 20, 2015
