According to the National Sleep Foundation, 7 to 9 hours of sleep is the recommended amount for adults between the ages of 18 and 64. Unfortunately, most Americans only get 6.8 hours of sleep per day on average (Gallup). A good night’s sleep is important for many reasons, but especially for good physical and mental health. In this blog post, we explore the benefits of healthy sleeping patterns.
Sleep Improves Mental Health
Better Memory
Memory consolidation is an important part of the sleeping process. This is when the brain transfers information from short term to long term memory. Consolidation is important for learning new information or activities and being able to recall information at a later time.
Increase Focus and Ability to Pay Attention
Being able to stay sharp and focused throughout the day is important to everyone. Even missing one night of sleep can leave a person feeling unable to concentrate or pay attention. Lower than recommended levels of sleep for students and working professionals can be very detrimental to success.
Sleep Improves Physical Health
Keep Your Heart healthy
Sleep is an important part of a cardiovascular health because it allows the heart to slow down and take a break from working all day. Lack of sleep can increase the flow of cortisol, a stress hormone which makes your heart work harder, making it harder to fall back to sleep.
Better Health and Immunity
Sleep is connected to a healthy immune system. People with lack of sleep are more susceptible to seasonal illnesses such as cold and flu.
Stop Inflammation
According to WebMD, inflammation is the process by which the body’s white blood cells and substances they produce protect us from infection with foreign organisms, such as bacteria and viruses. There are several diseases and negative effects that are associated with inflammation, such as arthritis, joint pain, and high blood pressure. People with fewer than 6 hours of sleep have higher levels of inflammatory proteins (health.com).
Better Athletic Performance
Various studies throughout the years have confirmed that athletes perform better with increased hours of sleep. A recent study by Stanford University suggests that sleep is important for peak athletic performance.
Better Diet
According to a recent study from the University of Chicago, people with low levels of sleep produced higher levels of hunger inducing hormones. The study also showed that individuals with adequate sleep were able to control hunger better.
Keep Headaches Away
Lack of sleep is an indirect cause of headaches. As stated above, sleep deprivation makes it harder to focus and pay attention. Combine that with the stress of daily life and headaches become inevitable, especially if stress gives you headaches.
Sleep Improves Personal Life
Better Personal Relationships
Being crabby, short tempered, and irritable is not conducive to a healthy relationship. These are unfortunately the side effects of sleep deprivation. Lack of sleep is also linked to lower levels of empathy.
Lower Stress
Health problems. Diet and weight problems. A bad immune system. Headaches and low levels of energy. These are the types of problems to avoid to prevent stress, but go hand in hand with sleep deprivation.
Improved Mood
Healthy sleeping cycles are important to a person’s overall well being and emotional stability. It becomes harder to control emotions which is why people who haven’t slept become easily irritable. Sleep is also very beneficial to reducing anxiety.
Don’t Fall Asleep While Driving
According to a recent study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, drowsy drivers are involved in an estimated 21% of fatal crashes. Victims tend to be single-car crashes who drift out of their lane or off the road. Driving while sleepy is just as dangerous as driving while intoxicated.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, sleep is seen as a luxury in our fast-paced society. People say there aren’t enough hours in the day to get the sleep they need. Work and personal life is too demanding. But if we don’t get enough sleep, the consequences can be long term, as well as short.
For an unsurpassed sleep, memory foam mattresses such as the Serene Organic Memory Foam Mattress provide maximum comfort by contouring to the shape of a person’s body. Platform beds such as the Aniston Platform Bed are perfect for a memory foam mattress. To learn more about platform beds, check out our previous post about the differences between platform beds and box springs.
Leave a Reply