Why You Need a Good Night’s Sleep

As a teenager, you probably thought you could stay up all night and still go to school. How’d that work for you? A good night’s sleep is essential no matter what your age. To be focused mentally, calm emotionally and physically healthy your body needs to recharge every night. Yet most of us don’t get the recommended seven to eight hours needed.

Your body shifts its energy focus during sleep. During our waking hours, our body focuses on processing information, digestion, and moving. As we sleep, our body focuses on the internal needs such a rejuvenation, repair and self-healing.

Benefits of a good night’s sleep include:

• Increased longevity. Getting enough sleep is directly related to length of life. People who sleep fewer than 6 hours a night have a greater risk of death. Insomnia and sleep deprivation are also linked to vehicle crashes.
• Steer clear of depression. Sleeping the recommended 7 to 8 hours means your overall well-being is better, with less anxiety and more emotional stability.
• Muscle relaxation. A good night’s sleep allows your muscles to fully relax and take a break, allowing your body to recharge and replenish. Your respiratory muscles relax as well, resulting in slower breaths. During REM sleep, your muscles become so relaxed they might seem to be temporarily paralyzed. This protects you from acting out your dreams.
• Weight management. Not getting enough sleep can lead to weight gain. The amount and quality of sleep affects the hormone levels which stimulate your appetite and feeling of fullness.
• Well-being. Getting adequate sleep is essential for your overall sense of well-being. Sleep allows your body to process and recover from the day and to feel rejuvenated to handle the next day.
• Curb inflammation. People who get less than seven hours of sleep have higher blood levels of the inflammatory proteins that are linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis and even premature aging.
• • Lower stress levels. Stress and sleep are connected, and both can affect your cardiovascular health. Adequate sleep reduces levels of stress, which in turn gives you better control over blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

A good night’s sleep is necessary for a healthy lifestyle. It affects how you feel, how you interact in your relationships and your productivity. While you sleep your brain begins working to reenergize the body.