Everybody knows sleep is an important part of a healthy life. But what are the reasons behind it? In this post, we will give 7 reasons why good sleep is essential for a healthy, happier and more productive life.
1- Good Sleep Improves Concentration & Productivity
A lot of people have focusing problems, as well as productivity issues. Getting a good sleep is important for brain function, and research data shows that cognition, concentration and productivity are negatively affected by sleep deprivation. So if you want to improve on these, getting a good sleep is essential.
2- Good Sleep Enhances Physical Performance
A study on basketball players showed that longer sleep improves speed, accuracy, reaction times. And you don’t have to be a professional athlete to enjoy the physical benefits of good sleep. When you’re asleep, your body is resting and recovering so you can perform well the following day. Which means if you are easily exhausted, and can’t perform as good as you should, improving your sleep is one of the things you should consider.
3- Quality Sleep Improves Immune Function
Not sleeping enough will have a negative impact on your immune function, in other words, your body’s defense mechanism. Which means your body will become weaker, and you will get sick more often.
4- Poor Sleepers Have a Higher Risk Of Heart Disease
Sleep quality and duration has an effect on a number of health risk factors. Based on information from various researches, sleeping less than necessary (7–8 hours) each night is associated with a higher risk of heart disease and stroke.
5- Poor Sleep Quality is Linked to Depression
Poor sleeping quality and sleeping disorders are linked to mental health disorders such as depression. It is estimated that 90% of people with depression have a poor sleep quality. Also, people with sleeping disorders such as insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea report higher rates of depression compared to people with higher sleep quality.
6- Sleep Quality Affects Our Social Interactions
There is a number of studies showing that sleep has an effect on our social interactions and ability to recognize emotions. One study shows that people who hadn’t slept had a more limited ability to recognize emotional expressions, such as happiness or anger.
7 - Poor Sleep is Linked to Higher Weight
People who sleep less tend to weigh more than those who get enough sleep regularly. In addition to that, short sleep duration is a major risk factor for obesity. So if you are planning to lose weight, make sure you are getting enough sleep.
