Are you getting enough sleep? That is a question you should ask yourself from time to time. With the fast-paced and busy life we live today, sleep is often pushed aside. Many young people use a saying I’ll sleep when I’m dead, but they fail to realize how much sleep is important. The idea of today’s article is to talk about health benefits to getting more sleep.

Health benefits to getting more sleep

Many people have troubles with sleep. They often go to a sleep clinic to deal with this issue. Sleep deprivation has severe consequences on our well-being, and we should always find enough time to rest. With that in mind, here are the 10 surprising health benefits to getting more sleep.

1. Your heart is healthier

Sleep regulates your blood pressure, and it slows it down. Blood vessels and your heart have some time to rest, which is crucial for having a healthy heart. If you don’t sleep enough, chances are that high blood pressure can lead to serious heart conditions. Even a short nap can have fantastic results.

Sleep issues affect our health, and can cause heart issues

2. Sleeping reduces stress

Sleep deficiency causes high blood pressure, and it leads to increased stress levels in our body. The entire body weakens and all of the body’s functions are alerted. Furthermore, stress hormones will make it more difficult to fall asleep, and you can easily enter the state of insomnia.

3. Enough sleep makes you more alert

After a good night’s rest our body is energized and more alert. That is why sleep is so important because it refreshes our entire system. If you feel refreshed and full of energy after you get up, your entire day will be better. You’ll have more energy to perform your daily tasks, and it will be easier to fall asleep.

4. Sleep strengthens your immune system

Out of personal experience, I can tell you that sleep directly affects your immune system. 

For example, I was relocating to a new home last month. We had a hectic few weeks of planning and organization. I had so many things to do. If you moved before, you know how it goes: you start planning the relocation, pack your old belongings before storing them, hire a moving company, load all the boxes. You are constantly thinking asking yourself if you’ve forgotten anything. Bottom line, in the period of five days I slept only a few hours. The result was a high fever, and pain in my body. It took me a while to recuperate, and I slept for more than 20 hours after the relocation. That is how much our body needs to rest.

5. Sleeping is good for memory

Based on sleep research, sleeping plays an important part in how our brain functions. After a busy day, when we go to sleep, our body may be resting, but our brain is still busy. Every day our brain processes a lot of information. During deep sleep, every memory and information is being linked, and our ability to remember is strengthened as well.

6. Sleep affects our weight

The lack of sleep affects hormones that impact the appetite. Hormones that regulate appetite are called ghrelin and leptin. The research shows that these hormones are disrupted with the lack of sleep. It is highly suggested that we try to sleep for at least 8 hours a day. Anything less could affect our appetite, and affect our weight.

Sleeping affects our appetite, and the lack of sleep can cause weight issues

With that in mind, if you are on a diet and trying to lose some weight, always remember that having enough sleep helps this cause.

7. Sleeping increases your productivity

Do you know that feeling when you wake up tired, and you have no will to do anything? If we lose sleep, our mood changes. There is not enough energy in our bodies, and that creates a chain reaction. Whatever chores you have to perform that day; it will feel a few times harder to do them than it usually is.

The lack of sleep affects our motivation and it slows us down. On the contrary, if you are well rested, you will feel more ready to work.

8. Sleep affects our mood

Are you happy, sad, angry? Can people easily disrupt your calm? If you feel like everything is annoying you, and you have no patience for anything around you, that might be due to the lack of sleep. Our bodies are tired, and even though we may not notice it, there are severe consequences.

Our mood is directly affected by how much we sleep. After a good night’s rest, you will feel happy, and you’ll have more energy and will to deal with issues.

9. Sleep reduces depression

Depression is a serious condition, and many people lose their lives because of it. While it is, in most cases, treated with medication, there are other ways that may help you fight with it. Having enough sleep is one way to do it. Still, it is important to know that depression is not treatable by sleeping enough. It is crucial to understand that medical help is always needed in these cases. Nevertheless, a rested body is ready to fight, and having enough sleep cannot do harm.

10. Your body repairs itself while sleeping

The last of the 10 surprising health benefits to getting more sleep is that our body repairs itself while sleeping. Our body cells produce more protein while our body is resting. It directly affects the ability of cells to produce building blocks for repairing themselves. Whether we are affected by stress, ultraviolet rays, or any other harmful thing, this is an opportunity for our body to repair the damage while we sleep.

Completing a sleep study can enhance your quality of life from the conditions most likely taking away a full night’s rest. If you live in Alaska and are ready to take back your sleep, contact The Alaska Sleep Clinic and receive a free 10-minute phone consultation with a sleep educator who can help you determine if a sleep study is right for you.