Sleep is a critical element when it comes to maintaining optimal health and well-being. As far as individual health is concerned, sleep is as vital as a frequent workout and taking a balanced diet.
With our ever-busy schedules, most people have sacrificed their sleep time for work. However, this is a bad move, considering the repercussions linked to a lack of adequate sleep. Regardless of your work schedule, it is essential to strive to have enough sleep daily.
Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, most people have resorted to working from home, which has helped them save time traveling to and from the workplace. This has left them with enough time to devote to sleep. So, let’s look at the various health benefits of getting enough sleep.
Stress Alleviation
Sleep deficiency is one of the main factors that trigger stress. Sleep deficit causes high blood pressure and triggers the secretion of stress hormones. High blood pressures heighten the risk of contracting heart attack and stroke, and stress hormones interfere with standard sleep patterns.
Enhances Mood
It’s when asleep that your brain processes your emotions. Your mind uses this time to identify and respond the right way. Lack of enough sleep triggers more negative emotional reactions than positive ones.
Sleep deficiency spikes the prospects of having a mood disorder. According to studies, people who have insomnia are at higher risk of developing depression, anxiety, and even panic disorders.
Reduces the Risk of Weight Gain
Though there are no scientific facts linking weight gain and obesity to sleep deficiency, several studies have linked short sleep patterns to weight gain and obesity.
Other studies have dismissed the link between sleep deprivation and overweight. Most of the researchers claim that weight gain results from other factors such as drinking alcohol, prolonged working hours, and level of education, among others.
Sleep deficiency can scupper a person’s desire to maintain a healthy lifestyle; however, it may or may not impact weight gain.
Cancer Prevention
Studies have revealed that people who work late hours have a higher risk of contracting breast and colon cancer. According to researchers, increased exposure to light lowers melatonin levels. Melatonin is a hormone that controls the sleep-wake cycle and is known for fighting off cancer by subduing the growth of tumors.
Always ensure there is limited exposure of light to your bedroom and refrain from using electronics before bed to aid your body in generating the melatonin it requires.
Improved Calorie Regulation
Like weight gain, several facts suggest getting enough night sleep can help reduce a person’s calorie intake during the day.
Studies have shown that sleep patterns impact the hormones liable for appetite. Lack of enough sleep can hamper your body’s ability to control food intake appropriately.
Strengthens Immune System
In order to fight off infections, your immune system spots harmful bacteria and viruses in your body and instantly acts on them. Lack of enough sleep interferes with the working of the immune cells. Failure to act quickly makes people fall seek often. Adequate rest can help to keep off tiredness and worn-out feeling at bay, allowing you to stay healthy without falling sick often.
Betters Heart Hearth
When asleep, the blood pressure tends to go down, allowing your heart and blood vessels some rest. The more you stay awake, the longer your blood stays up during the night. High blood pressure, if left unattended, can result in stroke and heart disease.
EFFECT OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION
Depression
According to studies, lack of enough sleep can trigger the symptoms of depression. In the recent American poll, 70 percent of people diagnosed with anxiety and depression slept five hours and below at night.
Insomnia, a typical sleep disorder, is linked to depression. In one study, it was found that people with insomnia were at a higher risk of developing depression than others.
Skin Aging
Sleep deprivation is one of the reasons people experience sallow skin and puffy eyes. Constant loss of sleep can lead to fine lines, dark circles, and even lackluster skin.
The body secretes hormone cortisol when there is sleep deprivation. Immense production of hormone cortisol breaks down collagen, a protein that is responsible for streamlining the skin.
Sleep deficiency prompts the body to under-produce human growth hormones. These hormones foster growth, especially during childhood. These hormones boost muscle mass, bolsters bones, and even thickens skin as we age.
