How many hours do you sleep per night?

Getting a good night’s rest is very important for your health, as doctors say. Many of them say that having a sleep schedule you respect is just as crucial as exercising regularly, but also having a healthy and balanced diet and lifestyle.

A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has discovered that 1 out of 3 Americans doesn’t get enough shuteye during the night. Several factors can influence one’s sleeping schedule, such as stress, too much work, too much caffeine, working out late in the evening, and so many other things.

Getting your Zzz’s in varies from person to person, but experts suggest that adults should aim for at least 6 hours and no more than 9 per night. Lacking rest can interfere with your safety and health and can be the cause of many issues. Today’s article tells you 7 reasons why you should prioritize sleep.

1. Cure for depression

Having a good night’s rest is essential for keeping your hormone levels balanced, your brain healthy and fresh, and your mood swings in check. Several studies have discovered that many mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, have a strong connection with sleeping quality and disorders. Moreover, research that had more than 2,00 participants discovered that people who are diagnosed with depression and anxiety are more likely to experience sleep disorders.

…If you have trouble falling asleep at night, make sure to talk to your doctor about this issue! 

2. Lack of sleep can increase inflammation

When you’re sleeping, your body has the needed time to repair itself, relax, and rejuvenate. That’s why you may want to take a nap when you have a major headache or when you feel sick.

As you can imagine, poor rest can have a big impact on inflammation in your body, because it plays a crucial role in managing your central nervous system. Lack of sleep, for instance, especially the one that is caused by disturbed slumber, is responsible for activating inflammatory signaling pathways, which can further lead to increased levels of markers of inflammation, such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-6.

One night without any rest won’t have long-term side effects but if you constantly miss your Zzz’s, you are more likely to develop different chronic conditions, such as heart disease, depression, obesity, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and certain types of cancer.

3. Increases productivity and concentration

As we’ve previously mentioned, sleep is the key ingredient when it comes to having a healthy brain. Sleep influences a lot of processes that take place in your brain, such as performance, cognition, productivity, and concentration.

Have you ever pulled an all-nighter just because you had a big presentation and you felt like you need more time to make things perfect?

It might’ve worked wonders for that time, but we are sure that the day after you’ve felt tired, sluggish, exhausted, and unable to properly focus, or even work out.  That’s what happens in your body when you don’t get enough Zzzs in.

…If you want to make sure that your body functions the way it’s supposed to and that you can properly focus on your daily tasks, make sure to prioritize sleep each night!

4. Can make your heart stronger

Another thing that lack of sleep can do to your body is make you more likely to develop heart disease. An analysis of 19 studies has discovered that patients who sleep less than 7 hours per night have 13% more chances of dying due to heart disease, compared to those who sleep at least 7 hours per night.

In addition to that, short sleep is linked to increasing the risk of high blood pressure, especially in people who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, a health condition that means breathing is interrupted for certain periods of time during sleep (approximately 10 seconds or longer).

However, don’t think that you should oversleep in order to be more healthy, because it doesn’t work like that either! An interesting fact about getting your Zzz’s in is that if you sleep more than 9 hours on a daily basis, you are more likely to develop high blood pressure or heart disease.

5. Supports your immunity system

If you don’t snooze enough, your body might try to cope with that and it will make you more prone to getting sick. Some studies have discovered that people who sleep less than 5 hours per night are more likely to get a cold, compared to people who make it a priority to get their Zzz’s in.

If you’re sleep-deprived and you’re being exposed to a virus, such as a random cold, you have a much bigger chance of getting sick, because your immune system is weakened, so it can’t properly protect you. Moreover, if you end up getting sick and you don’t get the right amount of shuteye in, your recovery time will take a lot longer than it should.

6. It will help you have a balanced diet

…Did you know that having cravings very often is a sign that you need more sleep? That’s because your brain tries to survive the day, so it needs more energy to make up for what it didn’t get from bedtime. As a result, you will crave a lot of food that will give you some type of energy. Unfortunately, you are more likely to want to eat greasy, unhealthy, and sugary foods such as fries, chips, chocolate, donuts, burgers, and pizza.

Nutritionists say that two important hormones are responsible for regulating your appetite. The first one is called leptin and it gives signals to your body that you’re full and you don’t need to eat anymore. The other one is called ghrelin and it stimulated your appetite.

When you’re exhausted due to sleep deprivation, none of these hormones function the way they should, so you end up feeling hungry a lot. As you can imagine, that won’t be good for you if you have health and fitness goals.

…psst! Are you looking for real, helpful methods that can guarantee a good night’s sleep? Check out this amazing sleep mask that also includes Bluetooth headphones. LC-dolida Sleep Mask with Bluetooth Headphones: 3D Eye Mask for Sleeping with HD Stereo Sound it’s comfortable and adjustable, which will allow you to sleep even on the side! Plus, it has a good price on Amazon: only $22.

7. Your skin will look better

…Who doesn’t want to have clear, healthy, and glowy skin? Then you should prioritize rest. When you don’t rest enough during the night, your skin will show it. It’s a bit dry, dull, and more prone to breakouts. If you keep missing nights, your skin will lose moisture, and over time it can increase signs of aging such as under-eye circles and wrinkles.

Your body does a lot of work while you snooze. It repairs itself and increases blood flow and collagen production. Both of these are key ingredients when it comes to healthy and moist skin, so make sure to respect your sleeping schedule.

Conclusion

To sum up our article, we can say that besides eating healthy and exercising, getting enough Zzz’s is also really important for your overall health. If you want to make sure that you get a good night’s rest, you can try limiting your screen time to at least an hour before bed, go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, try a sleeping mask, get a humidifier, or do some yoga or meditation exercises to prepare your body for rest.

…If you enjoyed reading this article, make sure to check this one out as well: 7 Risk Factors For Dementia Every Senior Should Know.