Suffering with insomnia or experiencing sleep deprivation? Getting a full eight hours is a challenge for many of us. A fast-paced life juggling work, responsibilities, family or childcare is often to blame for a lack of beauty sleep. But quality sleep isn’t just about waking up feeling refreshed and revitalised. It actually plays a critical role in maintaining our well-being, and a chronic lack of sleep can have an enormous impact on your overall health. Here, we’ll explore how quality sleep impacts your health.
1-Cognitive Function and Mental Health
Cognitive function, or your brain’s capacity to learn, remember things and function as it should, is hugely dependent on the level of quality sleep you’re getting. A solid night’s rest enhances memory consolidation and learning capabilities whilst also improving your problem-solving skills and boosting creativity. So if you find you’ve been struggling at work or study or have been experiencing forgetfulness and lacking inspiration, poor sleep could be to blame. Insufficient sleep has a scientific link to cognitive impairments, including forgetfulness, difficulty with concentration and decreased productivity.
Quality sleep is also strongly linked to mental health, helping to regulate your mood and emotions and reducing the risk of conditions including anxiety disorders or depression. Getting the right amount of sleep helps to balance the neurotransmitters that are responsible for your emotional well-being, helping your mood to remain stable.
2-Immune System Support
Whilst you’re fast asleep, your body initiates a repair and recovery cycle. It produces an important type of protein called cytokines, which helps strengthen your immune system, boosting its ability to fight infection and inflammation. A lack of quality sleep decreases production, meaning your body will be more vulnerable to illness without these immune-boosting proteins.
If your sleep deprivation becomes chronic, your immune system will slowly become weaker, and you’ll find yourself more susceptible to viruses and bacteria. Getting enough hours under the duvet is essential to maintaining your health and a robust and healthy immune system [1].
3-Physical Health and Regeneration
It’s not just your mental and emotional health that suffers when you’re sleepless, but your physical health too. Quality sleep helps restore your body overnight, aiding muscle recovery, tissue repair and the release of growth hormones, key processes for building important tissues and the growth and development of your body.
Sleep helps with your metabolism too, regulating appetite hormones, such as leptin and ghrelin, which control your appetite and level of hunger. If you’re struggling to maintain your weight or find yourself feeling constantly hungry, a lack of quality rest could be to blame. Good quality sleep will help to support your metabolism properly, reducing the risk of metabolic disorders and obesity and making weight loss easier.
4-Heart Health
If you’re getting inadequate sleep, studies have shown that the risk of developing a heart condition increases, and your cardiovascular health can suffer overall. It can also lead to an increased risk of hypertension, elevated levels of stress hormones and an increased heart rate.
A good night’s sleep, on the other hand, helps to maintain a healthy blood pressure level, reducing the strain on the heart and supporting your cardiovascular health.
5-Hormonal Balance
Sleep actively helps to balance your hormones. Its role in hormone regulation impacts the production of cortisol (the stress hormone) as well as the hormones that affect your appetite. Consistent, high-quality sleep is key when it comes to reducing feelings of stress and controlling appetite. Improving your sleep hygiene and getting more rest will also help your body regulate insulin, the hormone that helps control your blood sugar levels. This is a particular point to consider for anyone suffering from diabetes, or at high risk of diabetes or blood sugar conditions.
Get A Good Night’s Rest
You can’t remain in optimal health if you’re experiencing sleep deprivation. A good, quality night’s sleep boosts cognitive function, enhancing your memory and performance to help you at work, study and at home. It’ll also enhance your cardiovascular well-being, support your immune system and can be important in preventing the development of mental and physical health conditions.
If you’re struggling with chronic sleep deprivation or insomnia, take steps to improve your sleep hygiene by establishing a regular sleep schedule, investing in a comfortable sleeping environment and limiting screen time in the evening. You could also consider sleep aids, such as Kirkland Sleep Aids to improve your sleep patterns.
Remember, a good night’s sleep is not a luxury. It’s critical to a healthy and balanced body and mind.
Resources:
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8602722/