Importance of Sleep: Know the benefits of sound sleep

The importance of sleep is far more than you think. Adequate sleep is essential for maintaining optimal health and well-being. Like exercise and a balanced diet, sleep helps prevent a variety of health problems, including heart disease and depression.

Why is sleep important?

Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. The way you feel while you are awake depends in part on what happens while you are sleeping. During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health.

A good night’s sleep is very important for your health. In fact, it’s just as important as a balanced, nutritious diet and exercise.

Benefits of a sound sleep

While there is a lot of trend about working 16-18 hours a day, sleep is also as important as work. Deprivation of sleep leads to various health issues and can ultimately affect your work life. Here are the reasons that will force you to get a sound sleep

1.Improves Concentration and Productivity

Sleep is important for many aspects of brain function.

Lack of sleep negatively impacts cognition, focus, productivity and performance.

Getting enough sleep can improve academic performance in children, adolescents and young adults.

2.Maximize athletic performance

Sleep has been proven to improve athletic performance.

Numerous studies have shown that adequate sleep improves fine motor skills, reaction time, strength, muscle endurance, and problem-solving skills.

Getting enough sleep may be what you need to take your work to the next level.

3.Good for heart health

Poor sleep quality and sleep duration may increase heart disease risk

An analysis of 19 studies found that sleeping less than 7 hours a night was associated with a 13% increased risk of dying from heart disease.

Additionally, short sleep appears to increase the risk of hypertension, a condition characterised by interruptions in breathing during sleep, especially in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

4.Increases Social and Emotional Intelligence

Sleep is related to people’s emotional and social intelligence. People who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to have trouble recognizing the emotions and facial expressions of others.People who routinely experienced high quality sleep were more likely to perceive themselves as having better emotional intelligence.

5.Prevents Depression

Mental health problems such as depression are closely associated with poor sleep quality and sleep disturbances. A study of 2,672 participants found that people with both anxiety and depression were more likely to report lower sleep scores than those without anxiety and depression.

If you have trouble sleeping and notice that your mental health is deteriorating, it is important to see your doctor.

6.Boosts Immunity

Lack of sleep is said to weaken the immune system.

People who sleep less than five hours per night were 4.5 times more likely to catch a cold than those who slept seven or more hours per night, while those who slept five to six hours were 4.24 times more likely to catch a cold. 

Some data also suggest that adequate sleep may improve the body’s antibody response to flu vaccines.

7.Lower Inflammation

There is a link between getting enough sleep and reducing inflammation in the body.

The study suggests that irregular sleep, in which people go to bed at inconsistent times and wake up at different times each night, can disrupt the body’s processes that regulate inflammation during sleep.

Side effects of Sleep deprivation

1.Hypertension 

2.Heartattack and strokes

3.Weight gain and obesity

4.Depression and anxiety

5.Faulty brain function 

6.Weakens Immune system

7.Diabetes

8.Mood Swings

9.Tiredness and Fatigue

10.Lack of Energy

How much sleep do we need ?

Below are recommended sleep times, including naps, for each age group.

Newborns under 4 months have very different sleep patterns.

From 4 months to 1 year old the baby needs 16 hours of sleep from 12 hours a day.

From 1 year old to 2 years old, the baby needs to sleep 14 hours.

A 3-year-old to 5-year-old needs 10 to 13 hours of sleep a day. 

Children ages 6 to 12 need 9 to 12 hours of sleep per day.

Teenagers ages 13 to 18 need 8 to 10 hours of sleep per day.

And adults need a minimum of 7 hours of sleep per day.

Conclusion

Lack of sleep is associated with many negative health effects, including heart disease, depression, weight gain, inflammation, and an increased risk of disease.

Individual needs vary, but most studies suggest that you need 7-9 hours of sleep each night for optimal health.

It’s time to give sleep the same attention it deserves to make diet and physical activity a priority.