Five Reasons Why You Need To Sleep Better

Getting the required number of sleep each night is good for a healthy body and mind. It is highly recommended that an adult gets between 7-9 hours of good sleep daily.

According to medical experts, good sleep is not just about the number of hours spent in bed, but about getting quality sleep within that period regularly.

The benefits associated with good sleep are enormous. Below are five importance of sleeping well;

1. Stronger Immune System

Getting quality sleep strengthens the immune system and makes you less likely to come down with illnesses and infections.

When asleep, the body produces a protein called cytokines, which target infection and inflammation, creating an immune response. The body also produces T-cells during sleep, which are white blood cells that play a critical role in our body’s immune response to an infectious disease such as COVID-19.

When a person is sick, there is a tendency of sleeping more than usual. This is because the body gets to rest and repair itself while a sick person is asleep.

2. Healthy Heart

Good-quality sleep has been proven to decrease the work of your heart, as blood pressure and heart rate go down at night.

People who are sleep-deprived show less variability in their heart rate, meaning that instead of fluctuating normally, the heart rate usually stays elevated. 

Lack of sleep can increase insulin resistance, a risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

3. Mental wellness

There is no doubt that sleeping helps the body to recover from mental as well as physical exertion.

With the strong relationship between sleep and health, poor sleep can increase the risk of having poor health, and poor health can make it harder to sleep. 

Inadequate sleep can be one of the first signs of stress which is the root cause of common mental health problems like panic disorder, anxiety, and depression.

4. Healthy weight loss

Good sleep helps the body to maintain a healthy weight because you do not eat while asleep. 

Getting adequate sleep is an important part of a healthy weight loss plan. Most importantly, research has shown that losing sleep while dieting can reduce the amount of weight loss and encourage overeating.

In essence, while asleep, you do not eat. This means less calorie intake which promotes a healthy weight loss.

5. Mental Alertness/Optimal intelligence:

Good sleep helps the brain to concentrate and be alert. It also aids good decision-making. The brain, like other parts of the body, needs rest.

Good sleep helps the brain to rest and prepare for the next days' tasks.