10 Key Benefits Of Getting A Good Night’s Sleep

10 Key Benefits Of Getting A Good Night’s Sleep

We all know that sleep is good for us, but why is it good for us? There are a large number of reasons for a good night’s sleep, but let’s start with ten.

1. Sleep Improves Memory
It could be said that you learn during the day, but you remember at night. During the night is when your brain stores memories and information from during the day. That means that if you’re not getting the sleep you need, your memory may be suffering.
In fact, sleep may be important not just for cementing new memories, but for holding onto old ones. Some experts think that going without sleep may lead to memory loss.

2. Sleep Regulates Mood
It’s not just an old wives’ tale that missing out on sleep makes you cranky. Sleep helps to regulate your mood and help your mind and body deal with the effects of too much stress.
Miss sleep for one night, or even a few nights in a week and you may be more susceptible to stress and irritability. Miss sleep regularly, and it could even lead to the development of mood disorders – which take more than a nap to treat.

Also interesting: 6 Reasons Why You Should Sleep Naked

3. Sleep Promotes Fast Cognition
Your brain isn’t only mentally active at night, it is also physically active. Recent studies have found that at night your brain is busy removing toxins that can accumulate during the day. We’ll talk later about how your muscles are repaired when you sleep, but a similar process is also happening in the brain. All of this means that getting the sleep you need can help you stay sharp and may help to prevent dementia in old age.

4. Sleep Encourages Good Decision Making
Letting your brain rest doesn’t only keep you sharp, it keeps you functional. If you miss out on sleep, your brain can have a harder time doing basic functions, including making judgments. In this way, going without sleep can be similar to being drunk. You don’t want to face a big decision or time behind the wheel if you haven’t gotten enough shut-eye.

5. Sleep Helps You Stick To Your Diet
Most of your body’s functions are controlled by chemical messengers called hormones. While these chemicals can be released and utilized throughout the day, your body makes many of them while you’re asleep. Some key hormones that your body makes while you sleep are those that control your appetite and how your body processes energy. That means that poor sleep can lead to a poor diet. That can make it harder for your body to do things like build muscle and maintain a healthy weight.

Also interesting: Will Sleep Help You Lose Weight?

10 compelling benefits of great sleep6. Sleep Encourages Healthy Metabolism
Sleep can also help dieters in another way: by regulating metabolism. Your metabolism can be seen as the rate at which your body uses energy. Because fat is how your body stores energy for later, a high metabolism means that there is less energy to store.
Because sleep helps to regulate metabolism, missing sleep can throw your metabolism off balance and make it easier to gain weight. That doesn’t mean that extra sleep will help you lose weight; getting too much can throw off your metabolism too. To have a healthy metabolism, get a healthy amount of sleep.

7. Sleep Promotes Heart Health
Lack of sleep has been linked to obesity, but it’s also been related to other health risks that we usually think of as dietary problems like blood pressure and heart problems. It’s not always clear why sleep reduces heart problems. It is possibly a combination of just about all of the benefits listed in this article.

Also interesting: Does Sleep Help You to Grow Taller?

8. Sleep Allows For Muscle Growth And Repair
Hormone production isn’t the only way in which a good night’s sleep is important for muscle growth. Whether you’re recovering from a gym session, a hard day at work or just the grind of everyday life, when you sleep is when your muscles repair and grow.
If you’re trying to build muscle, you’ll see the best results if you get a good night’s sleep. If you aren’t trying to build muscle, a good night’s sleep can still keep you from feeling sore and tired the next day.

9. Sleep Promotes Healthier, Younger Looking Skin
Your muscles are repaired by your sleep, but so is your skin. While you sleep, your skin produces collagen – you know, that thing people get injected into their faces to smooth wrinkles. That’s right, your body actually makes its own collagen. That’s why getting a healthy amount of sleep can keep your skin looking younger and healthier.

Also interesting: Why Sleep Is Your #1 Life Hack For Better Aging

10. Sleep Is Enjoyable!
The last benefit of sleep doesn’t need a lot of hard facts behind it: most people enjoy sleeping. Even if it weren’t for all of the physical health benefits, sleeping is usually enjoyable. There are a limited number of enjoyable pastimes that are also very good for your body and mind.

Find out in this short video what are the 10 key benefits of getting a good night’s sleep:

10 key benefits of getting a good night's sleep

What can you do to fight off the struggle of insomnia?

Too many people see sleep as a luxury – something you can cut back on when you’re busy. Instead, you should see sleep as an investment – something that takes time but will make you more efficient, more productive, and healthier. In the following you find 5 key ways to prevent Insomnia:

Also interesting: Discover the Easiest Self-Healing Technique for Insomnia

1. Make Bedtime Truly Bed Time
Your bed should be reserved for bedtime. While, of course, sex is fine to have in your bed, all other activities should be kept out to salvage your sleep. Don’t read, talk on the phone, scroll through Facebook, watch television, etc. in your bed before going to sleep to prevent insomnia from becoming an issue for you. We’re not only talking about fun activities either; those living in a shared apartment or that have children have a tendency to do their work on their bed, whether it be their paid work, their taxes, or paying their bills. Break these bad habits now and start improving your sleep, keeping you from having to deal with that pesky insomnia.

2. Limit Stimulants Like Caffeine and Nicotine

Caffeine, when consumed in large amounts, can have an effect on both falling asleep and staying asleep. Nicotine can have a similar effect, as well as some decongestants and asthma inhalers. It’s important to limit your intake of caffeine and nicotine and discuss with your doctor a better time to take the decongestants and asthma inhalers to protect your sleep.

Also interesting: Foods and Herbs That Help You Sleep

However, keep in mind that most teas  – other than coffee – not only contain caffeine but also L-theanine, an amino acid that actually can help you get to sleep. Find out more about the positive effects of this amino acid in L-Theanine: Tea’s Amino Acid for Overall Wellness.

3. Try Not to Nap During Your Day
Napping when your tired from sleeping poorly at night might initially sound like a good idea, but it’s actually making your problems much worse. It’s crucial that you keep to the same sleep pattern each day to ensure that you won’t have any trouble with insomnia. Napping during the day can make you less tired when it’s time for bed, causing you to struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep. Napping during the day can also hurt any work you’ve done so far to train yourself on your regular sleep pattern, like sleep cues such as darkness that are consistent at your bedtime.

4. Keep a Regular Sleep Schedule
Believe it or not, you can actually train your body to wake up and go to sleep at the same time every day. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day can help you to train your body to be tired during bedtime. If you follow our previous recommendation and limit the bedtime activities to sleep, you can further train your body to get on a good sleep schedule.

Also interesting: How to Find Good Sleep When Your Allergy Is Bad?

10 reasons why neglecting sleep is not an option5. Exercise Every Day
Regular exercise can improve the quality and duration of your sleep; however, it can also be a stimulant. You should make sure you get a good workout in each and every day that concludes at least three hours before you try to go to bed. Exercising fills you with endorphins and energy, so it’d be tough falling asleep after that.

If you are struggling to fall asleep and staying asleep, you might be one of the 25% of Americans that struggle with insomnia. All hope is not lost; there are many ways to retrain your brain for better sleep habits and nip your insomnia in the bud. 75% of those that deal with insomnia find relief from it.

Also interesting: 4 Best Natural Ways to Overcome Insomnia

So what are you waiting for? Take the initiative and make a change today. Your brain and body will thank you for it when they feel rejuvenated and well-rested.

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One Reply to “10 Key Benefits Of Getting A Good Night’s Sleep”

  1. Very nice article! This definitely gave me a better understanding about the benefits of a good night sleep. Thanks a lot for posting!

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