March is the month to celebrate sleep, with World Napping Day on the 11th and World Sleep Day on the 15th.
At Hush Home, we’re campaigning to declare March as World Sleep Month. While your boss might not encourage these celebrations, we believe it’s a great time to share the benefits of sleep.
Why is sleep important? Scientifically, 8 hours of sleep is a necessity for a healthy life.
The myth of the ‘sleep bank’ has been debunked, meaning you can’t simply catch up on missed sleep without consequences.It’s now believed that getting 8 hours of sleep regularly is the best way to be the best version of yourself every day.
We all wish for more sleep, whether due to a busy day ahead, a heavy weekend, or a new addition to the family.
But it shouldn’t just be a wish. It’s essential for your health in many ways.
We hope to encourage you to turn off the lights a few minutes earlier and enjoy all the benefits that a good night’s sleep offers.
Do you need convincing that a Saturday morning lie-in can’t compensate for a week of missed sleep? Discover the science behind why sleep is crucial.
**Why Sleep is Important**
Evolution has programmed us to sleep for around a third of our day, and there’s a good reason for it. During sleep, our body repairs and regenerates, producing extra protein for these repairs. Missing sleep means your body can’t perform at its best.
Doctors have long recommended a healthy diet and exercise to maintain health, but now they’re declaring sleep to be just as important, if not more so.
**How Can Sleep Benefit Your Health?**
Sleep plays a vital role in keeping your heart healthy. While you sleep, your body focuses on repairing and healing your heart and its vital blood vessels. Those with ongoing sleep problems face an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.
Understanding the importance of sleep is crucial for maintaining a healthy body and mind.
**Reducing Cancer Risk**
Studies indicate that night shift workers are at a higher risk of developing certain types of cancer. This is linked to melatonin, a hormone that regulates the sleep cycle and suppresses tumor growth. Those who sleep at night have higher melatonin levels. A dark bedroom environment supports optimal melatonin production.
**Controlling Blood Pressure**
Sleep is essential for managing the stress and strain of daily life. Without adequate sleep, the body struggles to cope, potentially increasing blood pressure or exacerbating existing hypertension over time.
**Preventing Diabetes**
Sleep impacts how the body handles insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. Adequate sleep helps maintain stable insulin levels, reducing the risk of developing diabetes.
**Boosting Immunity**
Individuals who achieve a full 8 hours of sleep are less susceptible to minor illnesses like colds and coughs. Sleep is when the immune system, like the rest of the body, is repaired and strengthened.
Why sleep is important? Sleep benefits for skin. Sleep not only repairs internal organs but also works wonders for the skin. Inflammation reduction in the body is crucial for the skin. Inflammation can lead to a breakdown of collagen and hyaluronic acid, which are essential for naturally glowing skin. While asleep, the body rehydrates. Without it, one may wake up with dull, dry skin, puffy eyes, and more visible wrinkles. Sleep also helps decrease stress hormones, reducing the likelihood of skin conditions triggered by stress. Those with acne, psoriasis, and eczema often see skin improvements when sleeping well. It’s a vicious circle as skin conditions can cause itchy skin, leading to nighttime scratching that disrupts sleep and increases stress. Consistently getting 8 hours of sleep can break this bad cycle.
Why sleep is important #3: Sleep benefits for your body. Research has shown that people who sleep over 7 hours a day are much more likely to be at a normal and healthy weight. The reason? Lack of sleep is thought to affect the hormones in the body that regulate hunger and fullness signals (ghrelin and leptin). This means those who don’t get enough sleep may face a double-edged sword. They are programmed to crave less healthy food when tired, and their body doesn’t receive the signal that it’s full, leading to overeating at every meal. One dieting myth is that eating late at night causes weight gain. However, successful dieting usually comes down to burning more calories than you consume, not the time of day you eat.
Did you know that a good sleeper is far more likely to stick to gym or fitness routines because they wake up with more energy and enthusiasm? Why sleep is important #4: Sleep benefits for your sanity. Sleep not only affects your ability to handle stress but also interacts with many different chemicals in your body that impact your mental health.Waking up with enthusiasm and drive is a daily goal that can be achieved by getting 8 hours of sleep each night.
This adequate sleep provides your body with the energy to power through the day and your mind with the ability to function at its best.
Good sleep is crucial for maintaining a positive mindset and outlook, contrasting those who struggle with sleep issues that impact their daily lives.
In severe cases, such as insomnia, which is thought to affect nearly half the population at some point, the inability to sleep can lead to new or exacerbated mental health issues.
Insomnia can result in stress and depression, caused by the frustration of lying awake.
It may also be a risk factor for developing anxiety disorders. Research shows that those with existing anxiety issues take longer to fall asleep, sleep more lightly, and for shorter durations.
The causality between anxiety and sleep issues is still unclear, but it appears to be part of a vicious cycle.
Why sleep is important for work performance:
One of the major benefits of sleeping well is the improvement in your performance at work. Everyone wants to be their best at work, but getting the right amount of sleep goes beyond avoiding being found napping at your desk.
While you sleep, your brain is as active as it is during your waking hours! During these hours, it’s working to help you by processing everything you have done and learned during the day, storing it in the right places so you can remember, recall, and build on them.
In fact, it is thought by some that your dreams are essentially your brain playing back, processing, and filing the events of the day.
Get the right amount of sleep, and you won’t just wake up feeling energized and ready for your day. It’s proven that a well-rested brain is better at mental performance, from calculations to logic and recall to rational thought processes.
Want to be that person in the office who can recall a client’s name in an instant or remember exact figures during a sales meeting? Make sure you are getting those 8 hours of sleep!
A good business decision often has to be made quickly and with a better sense of judgment, memory, and the knowledge that your increased productivity has given you. All of these are a direct result of the increased capacity of your brain from a good night’s sleep, which will have you standing out from the crowd in the workplace.
Why is sleep important?
Sleep is essential for fitness. Before hitting the gym, you might remember to eat and drink water, but do you remember to sleep? To maximize the benefits of exercise, you need quality sleep. People exercise for various health reasons, such as cardiovascular, weight, or aerobic benefits, but these cannot be achieved if your body is not rested. Exercising without optimal sleep is a waste of your body’s resources.
Muscle repair and regeneration happen during sleep.
The body repairs and regenerates during sleep, including your muscles. After an exercise session, muscles need to be repaired, recovered, and built up. Without proper sleep, you won’t get the most out of your workouts.
Growth hormones production during sleep.
A good night’s sleep boosts the production of growth hormones. In younger individuals, this is crucial for physical growth. In adulthood, it helps build muscle and repair aches and pains after a workout.
Sleep for injury prevention, heart health, and strength.
To remain injury-free, heart-healthy, and strong, sleep is essential.
Why is sleep important?
#1 Sleep Benefits for Fun and Activity
You may not be a gym bunny, but waking up with a spring in your step is crucial for getting out and about, enjoying life. A walk in the park with your pet or a trip to the playground with the kids becomes more enjoyable when you’re fit and healthy enough to participate. One of the major benefits of sleep that should not be overlooked is the ability to go out and have fun!
#2 Sleep and Libido for Homebodies
If you and your partner prefer staying home, it’s worth noting that a recent study showed missing a few hours of sleep can reduce testosterone levels in men, leading to decreased libido and energy. Perhaps a lie-in could be justified to reward a good night’s sleep?
#3 All-Around Benefits of Regular Sleep
As you can see, getting regular sleep has benefits in every aspect of your life, not just the obvious ones. From better health, improved skin, enhanced performance, increased energy, to outright fun, we’ve shown you why sleep is important for your daily life and ongoing lifestyle. It’s time to take your sleep a little more seriously.
If you need a reason to go to bed a bit early or lie in and enjoy the comfort of your premium mattress a bit longer, remember that science says it’s a wise move! Stephanie, a certified wellness consultant and co-founder of Hush Home. About Stephanie: As a certified health and wellness consultant, Stephanie is on a mission to inspire everyone to live a fuller life by sleeping better. Stephanie designs and leads Hush Home’s sleep workshops for Fortune Global 500 Companies like Citibank, Manulife, and Standard Chartered to boost employee performance and productivity with sleep science. When Stephanie is not getting her 8 hours of sleep or reading and writing about sleep & wellness, she’s probably somewhere hiking with her little pomeranian, Dookie!