Sleep is an investment in the energy you need to be effective tomorrow.
Tom Roth
With the increasingly important tasks that need to be completed to be able to survive, make a decent income, and raise a family today, stress and sleep-related disorders might just be inevitable.
Chores and tasks are never-ending, sometimes we panic as we take a quick glance at our wall clock, it's almost diner time and there's plenty that nonetheless has got to be done.
Time is constant, we all have 24 hours each per day and the feeling of having to complete at the task at any cost can be overwhelming.
But we are only humans designed by our maker to take rests as at when needed. Still, we continue to push beyond the limits in a bid to be more productive.
It is also not unusual for many individuals to stay up late until midnight trying to beat deadlines only to wake up very early the next day just so they can fit in everything scheduled for the day.
You may assume that it is not such a damaging thing to your health but it is actually very bad for your health.
Ok, now let us take a look at the significance of having a quality sleep for our overall health.
Many aspects of sleep are yet to be uncovered at present, although experts have been engaged in numerous scientific studies for decades.
1. All findings point to one fact though; our body needs sleep to function properly.
Not sleeping well affects both your physical and mental health. You may find it hard to concentrate and make logical decisions. This can be particularly dangerous if a situation that calls for immediate action crops up unexpectedly. This stresses the fact that sleeping well has been pointed out as good for improving performance.
2. Sleeping well also helps to enhance the recollection of events in adults and children alike.
3. Certain processes like cell reproduction and regeneration in humans take place while a person is asleep.
This involves the release of hormones (HGH or human growth hormone) that is essential for growth in children and is also used for the restoration of tissue structure in adults.
This is the reason older people need eight hours of sleep every night for their bodies to get the rest they need to repair and re-energize.
This goes to say that the importance of taking adequate sleep cannot be overemphasized.
4. The quality of sleep a person has within a given time frame let's say a week interval has a proportionate effect on the health. Without enough sleep, a person may end up sick and not be able to think well.
5. The body's defense mechanism will not function well if you deprive yourself of sleep. This is largely due to the fact that having a good sleep boosts your immune function. Sleeping well can be likened a period when a command that encourages the body to rest before another bout of activities is issued to the body.
6. Another great benefit of good sleep which should be about 8 hours long is weight management.
Less sleep is mostly tied to poor exercise performance and limited movement in adults.
7. Not sleeping well could lead to a higher risk of diseases like diabetes, heart diseases, high blood pressure and stroke especially among blacks.
Studies reveal that sleep deprivation can induce a medical condition known as prediabetes within 6 days in healthy adults.
8. Not sleeping well can lead to head aches, inflammation of the joints and general body pains.
9. Sleep apnea and insomnia, two major sleeping disorders are usually associated with people suffering from depression. And depression is linked to poor sleep time.
Although poor sleep quality may not cause depression, depressed people find it a lot more difficult to sleep.
In summary, we need to prioritize our health and give more attention to the basic needs of our body to enable us to stay healthy.
This will prevent us from breaking down and enjoying life to it's fullest.
This is such an informative post! After having my son who is now 8 months old, I did not sleep for what felt like eternity. I felt moody, didn't eat properly, and could not concentrate on anything. I only recently have been getting a little rest since he is sleeping through the night. I look forward to catching up on much needed rest and definitely start getting my body into a healthy sleep pattern. Thank you so much for sharing this!
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