A Good Night’s Sleep : The Health Benefits It Provides
A good night’s sleep frequently falls to the bottom of our list of priorities, for a variety of reasons. However, in the middle of our hectic schedules, we frequently forget the restorative power that a restful night’s slumber can offer. It is important for our general well-being. As adults, we need adequate sleep otherwise the risk of health problems arises.
Getting a good night’s sleep helps you awaken refreshed and ready for the day. Without a good night’s rest, you feel tired, sleepy, and unable to function properly. The risk of stroke, heart disease, or high blood pressure rises with ongoing disturbances, poor sleep, or lack of sleep at night.
This blog will detail why it’s so important that we get enough sleep, what happens while we are asleep, and what we can do to ensure we get good quality sleep at night.
What is Sleep?
Reduced sensory awareness and inhibition of voluntary muscular movement are two characteristics of sleep, a naturally occurring repeating state of altered consciousness. It is an important physiological function that keeps one’s physical, mental, and emotional health in check. The body goes through several intricate physiological and neurological changes when we sleep, which help with things like hormone balance, memory consolidation, and tissue repair.
Sleep Stages
There are four stages, three are non-rapid eye movement(NREM). The last is rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Each stage of sleep serves to get closer to a deep sleep.
As we are asleep we go through the four stages several times, sometimes up to six times in a night.
Stage 1 – Light NREM
This is the lightest stage as we try to fall asleep. Our eye movements, brain waves, breathing, and heartbeat slow down as we relax our muscles. It could take several minutes or more.
Stage 2 – Deeper NREM
Brain waves slow down but there are bursts of activity as memories get processed. Eye movements stop and muscles relax even more as body temperature lowers. This takes 25 minutes during the first stage cycle and then increases each time the body cycle restarts.
Stage 3 – Deepest NREM
Your muscles are fully relaxed, and your heart rate, brain waves, and breathing are at their lowest as you go into your deepest stage. The body starts its background activity to build and repair, grow tissue, and strengthen the immune system by fighting off any infections. This causes you to feel renewed and is the most difficult stage to wake up from.
Stage 4 – REM and Dreaming
You start dreaming usually 90 minutes after the first stage. Your breathing and heart rate pick up and your eyes move through closed lids. There is brain activity but your muscles are mostly kept still.
How Much Sleep is A Good Night’s Sleep?
Adults need less than children but at least seven hours of a good night’s sleep is optimal. This was based on a study by the Sleep Research Society. This must be regular and of good quality, meaning no interruptions. Less than seven hours isn’t considered a good night’s sleep.
Why is A Good Night’s Sleep Important?
Memory and Thinking
Long-term memory storage and your ability to learn and process information relies on good sleep. Everything that happened during the day is stored and information is processed based on those new memories.
Immune System
Your body has immune cells that work when you are asleep. When we are sleeping our bodies recover, repair damage, and regenerate cells, which leads to stronger immune function.
Hormones and Weight Gain
When we sleep cortisol is made and emitted throughout the body. This makes us feel alert and helps us wake up.
Insufficient sleep means the hunger hormone increases, making you feel hungry during these awake times. They mostly make you crave foods high in calories, fat, and sugar. The hormones that make you feel full decrease which is why you may overeat and run the risk of weight gain. Your sleep patterns control your weight, you also start to retain more salt in the body which makes it difficult to lose weight.
Safety
The less we sleep the slower our reactions, judgment, reflexes, decision-making, and ability to focus become. When this happens we are not able to make safe decisions and could be a danger to ourselves and those around us.
Emotional Intelligence and Social Interactions
Lack of sleep can lead to risky behavior and mood swings and it makes it difficult for us to cope in social situations and be able to regulate our emotions as it is difficult to control our emotions when we are tired. We also find it difficult to recognize other people’s expressions and emotions, making social interactions difficult. This could result in isolation as social settings become too difficult to cope with.
Inflammation
Sleep helps regulate the central nervous system. When we sleep less than we should or it is interrupted, specific inflammation markers get flagged resulting in high inflammation in the body. This negative effect is higher in women than in men.
Disease Risk
You could run the risk of diseases like stroke, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, or high blood pressure due to lack of sleep. If deprivation continues it could also cause certain cancers or Alzheimer’s disease.
Type 2 Diabetes
Constant sleep disruption could mean your body is unable to process insulin resulting in insulin resistance. This has been the case for people who have obstructive sleep apnea making them high-risk for Type 2 diabetes. This condition disrupts slow-wave sleep while reducing oxygen intake. Both of these factors result in lowered glucose metabolism and insulin resistance.
Productivity and Concentration
If you are sleepy you’re not alert and your ability to concentrate drops. This lowers your productivity levels. Mental capacity is impaired when you haven’t slept enough so you cannot problem-solve as quickly and hold onto information. According to this study physicians who didn’t sleep enough, made more mistakes.
Physical Performance
It isn’t just your brain that needs sleep to function optimally, your muscles need it too. Endurance, power, fine motor skills, and reaction time all improve when you get enough sleep. Research suggests that sleep loss increases the chance of an injury from physical activity.
Stress and Mental Health
Anxiety and depression are two mental health conditions that could be related to difficulty sleeping. Sleeping lowers stress levels because you can cope and have clarity. Your cortisol hormone is lowered and melatonin kicks in to allow you to rest fully. Stress is lowered when your sleep quality and quantity are increased. You also feel less irritable and grumpy.
Are Naps Allowed?
Short sleeping periods or “naps” have been known to be beneficial as long as it’s taken many hours before your bedtime. By sleeping for 10 to 20 minutes, it can boost your energy levels and help you complete the rest of the day’s tasks. So if you need a nap, make it a short sleep and only take it during the day.
What Is Sleep Deprivation?
Poor sleep quality or trouble falling asleep could come from sleep disorders like insomnia or sleep apnea to things like anxiety, asthma, drugs, stress, caffeine, alcohol, pain, medication, or even heartburn.
How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Unless you have a sleep disorder or medical condition preventing you from sleeping, there are a few things you can try to promote good quality sleep.
Sleep Habits
Create a healthy sleep habit by going to bed at the same time every night and getting up at the same time each morning. After a few weeks, this sleep schedule becomes a routine and you will have no trouble sleeping.
Relaxed Muscles
Tense muscles keep your body stiff and result in improper sleep. Relax your body when it is time to go to bed.
Device Usage
Stop using devices at least one hour before it’s time to sleep and ensure there are no blue light filters in the room.
Bedroom Setup
Make sure your bedroom is comfortable, quiet, dark, and at the right temperature. It must be inviting and comfortable to fall asleep.
Hunger
If you are so hungry whilst you are trying to fall asleep, it may prevent you from sleeping. In this case have a light snack to ease the hunger sensation A heavy meal will result in uncomfortable sleep.
Activity
Get active during the day and not close to bedtime. Physical activity helps you to get better sleep at night but avoid activity too close to bedtime.
Weekend Catchup
If you have not had adequate amounts of sleep throughout the week, sleeping longer on the weekend will not help you”catchup” on sleep. Try to keep your routine the same throughout the week and weekends.
Supplements
Well of Life Sleep Restore includes vitamins and herbs to enhance relaxation. It supports your sleep needs and therefore it may assist you in achieving adequate quality, allowing you to feel rested and restored with elements such as melatonin and magnesium.
What Are Sleep Disorders?
These are medical conditions that can cause chronic sleep deprivation.
Sleep disorders can have the following symptoms:
- Being unable to move your body at first when you wake up in the morning.
- Difficulty falling asleep.
- Constant loud snoring.
- You feel a crawling or tingling sensation in your arms or legs that only stops once you move.
- Being unable to stay asleep.
- Your breathing stops now and then for a few seconds while you are asleep.
- Gasping while you are asleep.
- Feeling sleepy during the day makes it difficult to do everyday activities.
Types of Sleep Disorders
- Sleep Apnea
- Restless Legs Syndrome(RLS)
- Insomnia
- Narcolepsy
Key Takeaways
As we come to the end of our blog into sleep as nature’s best medicine, we are reminded that getting enough good sleep affects our overall health and well-being. We’ve learned about the several advantages sleep provides, including improved cognitive performance, strengthened immune systems, and increased emotional resilience.
Sleep is a biological necessity, not just a luxury. Our bodies heal, renew, and revitalize during these peaceful sleep periods, setting us up to take on the challenges of every new day with strength and vigor.
Let’s embrace nature’s best medicine and enjoy all of the benefits it provides for our well-being. I wish you a good night’s sleep and dreams that are full of hope for a better tomorrow.
