7 Ways Sleep Boosts Your Lifestyle
Despite being extremely important, sleep is among the few aspects of health that get very little attention. Not paying attention to your sleep can have tremendous health consequences to your health and well-being, as well as your performance at work.
Here are some of the best ways sleep improves your lifestyle and make you a better person:
It boosts your skill acquisition.
Did you know that observing good sleep habits can improve your ability to acquire and master new skills? During sleep, information from the neocortex is transferred into the hippocampus, which allows for much more permanent storage. Thus, a well-rested brain will ensure proper mental function and an improved memory, which is essential if you’re looking to learn a new skill. One study found that participants who had enough sleep had no problem performing and learning simple skills, while those who lack sleep found it tougher to pick up a new skill.
It helps you shed fats faster.
Are you trying to lose weight? Make sure you are getting enough sleep each night. It’s not enough that you eat right and exercise. You must incorporate quality sleep in your weight loss regimen. Lab studies have shown that an increase in sleep deprivation showed an increased risk of obesity and diabetes. Scientists theorise that the reason why sleep deprivation can speed up weight gain is that it causes changes in insulin resistance and glucose regulation. This means our body cannot process sugar as efficiently, which can lead to potential fat gain.
It strengthens your immune system.
When you sleep, your body produces a hormone called melatonin which helps regulate your immune system. Lack of melatonin therefore leads to poor immunity. This is most probably the reason why people who are always falling short of sleep are also those that are more prone to falling sick as well. Other studies show that lack of sleep can up risk of cancer, heart disease and an increase in cholesterol levels.
It reduces sex drive.
A reduction of 10-30% in testosterone levels was seen in populations that are sleep deprived, not to mention that this reduction can be further magnified if sleep deprivation continues, according to a 2011 study. And there’s no need to emphasise that reduced testosterone can lead to lower sex drive.
It enhances cognitive function.
Think studying late tonight can make you better prepared for tomorrow’s exam? Think again. Ensuring you are well-rested will help keep mental fatigue at bay. Although scientists are still trying to tease apart all the mechanisms, they’ve discovered that sleep disruption — which affects levels of neurotransmitters and stress hormones, among other things — wreaks havoc in the brain, impairing thinking and emotional regulation. In this way, insomnia may amplify the effects of psychiatric disorders, and vice versa, according to Harvard Health Publications.
It makes you live longer.
In a 2010 study of women ages 50 to 79, more deaths occurred in women who got less than five hours or more than six and a half hours of sleep per night. Sleep also reduces inflammation. Inflammation is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, and premature aging. Research indicates that people who get less sleep (six or fewer hours a night) have higher blood levels of inflammatory proteins than those who get more.
It makes you more creative.
In addition to consolidating memories, or making them stronger, your brain appears to reorganize and restructure them, which may result in more creativity as well. Harvard University and Boston College researchers found that people seem to strengthen the emotional components of a memory during sleep, which may help spur the creative process.
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