“When you lie down, you will not be afraid. When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” Proverbs 3 vs 24
Can I hear an amen?
Lack of good sleep can make you cranky and groggy during working hours. After a period of time, skimping on sleep can mess up more than just your mood- your entire system can be at stake. Studies show getting quality sleep on a regular basis can help improve your life.
Why Do We Sleep, Anyway?
Although scientists aren’t entirely sure why there is an activity called sleep, they have many ideas about the functions of this mysterious part of our lives. While some may have deep evolutionary roots, others play a role in our mental and overall health.
In case you missed it… it is a must to have good sleeping habits in order to have a healthy lifestyle.
Here’s why you should give your body the rest it needs;
Sharper Brain:
When you’re running low on sleep, you’ll more often than not, have trouble recalling details and that is because sleep plays a big part in both learning and memory.
Mood Boost:
One other thing your brain does while you sleep is to process your emotions. This is when your mind recognises itself. You tend to have a mood disorder as a result of chronic lack of sleep.
Healthier Heart:
While you sleep, your blood pressure normalises, giving your heart and blood vessels a bit of a rest. The less sleep you get, the longer your blood pressure stays up during the 24-hour cycle. High blood pressure can lead to heart disease, including stroke.
Energy:
If your day job requires quick bursts of energy, like endurance sports (running, swimming, Tennis playing and biking), you’ll face harder mental and physical challenges as well as see slower reaction times. Robbing yourself of good sleep, rids you of time for muscle repair and saps your motivation, which is what gets you to the finish line.
Steadier Blood Sugar:
During the deep, slow-wave part of your sleep cycle, the amount of glucose in your blood normalises. Not having enough time in this deepest stage means you don’t get that break to allow your blood glucose reset.
Germ Fighting:
To help you ward off illnesses, your immune system identifies harmful bacteria and viruses in your body and destroys them even in your sleep. Prolonged lack of sleep changes the way your immune cells work so that they may not attack as quickly as they should, making you get sick more often.
Weight Control:
When you’re well-rested, your appetite is controlled. Sleep deprivation messes with the hormones in your brain, (leptin and ghrelin) that control your appetite. With the hormones out of balance, your resistance to the temptation of unhealthy foods goes way down.
So how long should you sleep?
It will be good to note that everybody’s sleep times are different. People who are active during the day should ensure to have a good sleep at night while those who work at night should have a good day’s sleep.
Sleep needs vary, but on the average, your best shot should be between seven and eight hours each night for peak health benefits.
However, studies show that people who regularly sleep for more than nine hours a night had more calcium buildup in their heart arteries and less flexible leg arteries, too. Now, that’s more harm than good.
Why you can’t sleep?
You’re not alone. Research shows that sleep quality has decreased over the years and many people who report to their doctors include lack of good sleep as a symptom. Reason’s you’re not sleeping could be anxiety, stress, age, boredom, being in a strange place or purely medical. You are advised to seek medical attention if for any reason you do not get regular good sleep.
Your best bet is to listen to your body better than you listen to your alarm.
May your sleep be blissful.