The Importance of Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep is incredibly important for your health. In fact, it’s just as important as eating a balanced, nutritious diet and exercising.
Sleep needs vary from person to person but most adults require between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Studies have shown that up to 35% of adults in North America are not getting enough sleep.
Sleep deprivation can put your health at risk, which is why it’s essential that you prioritize and protect your sleep on a daily basis.
Did you know getting enough sleep...??
Getting a good night’s sleep is incredibly important for your health. In fact, it’s just as important as eating a balanced, nutritious diet and exercising.
Sleep needs vary from person to person but most adults require between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Studies have shown that up to 35% of adults in North America are not getting enough sleep.
Sleep deprivation can put your health at risk, which is why it’s essential that you prioritize and protect your sleep on a daily basis.
Did you know getting enough sleep...??
May help you maintain or lose weight
Numerous studies have associated short sleep — defined as sleeping fewer than 7 hours per night — with a greater risk of weight gain and a higher body mass index (BMI)
In fact, a 2020 analysis found that adults who slept fewer than 7 hours per night had a whopping 41% increased risk of developing obesity. Meanwhile, sleeping longer didn’t increase the risk
The effect of sleep on weight gain is believed to be affected by numerous factors, including hormones and motivation to exercise
Sleep deprivation increases levels of ghrelin and decreases levels of leptin. Ghrelin is a hormone that makes us feel hungry while leptin makes us feel full. This may cause us to feel hungrier and overeat
To compensate for lack of energy, sleep deprivation may make you crave foods that are higher in sugar and fat, due to their higher calorie content.
And to make matters worse, feeling tired after a night of too little sleep may leave you feeling unmotivated to hit the gym, go for a walk, or do any other physical activity you enjoy.
So, prioritizing sleep may support healthy body weight.
Can improve concentration and productivity
Sleep is important for various aspects of brain function. Cognition, concentration, productivity, and performance are all negatively affected by sleep deprivation.
A specific study on overworked physicians provides a good example. It found that doctors with moderate, high, and very high sleep-related impairment were 54%, 96%, and 97% more likely to report clinically significant medical errors
Studies have also shown that getting enough sleep can improve academic performance in children, adolescents, and young adults. And getting a good sleep has been shown to improve problem-solving skills and enhance memory performance in both children and adults
Can maximize athletic performance
Sleep has been shown to enhance athletic performance. Numerous studies have shown that adequate sleep can enhance fine motor skills, reaction time, muscular power, muscular endurance, and problem-solving skills
A lack of sleep may increase your risk of injury and lower your motivation to exercise. So, getting enough sleep may be just the thing you need to take your performance to the next level.
May strengthen your heart
Low sleep quality and duration may increase your risk of developing heart disease. One analysis of 19 studies found that sleeping fewer than 7 hours per day resulted in a 13% increased risk of death from heart disease
Another analysis found that compared with 7 hours of sleep, each 1-hour decrease in sleep was associated with a 6% increased risk of all-cause mortality and heart disease.
What’s more, short sleep appears to increase the risk of high blood pressure, especially in those with obstructive sleep apnea — a condition characterized by interrupted breathing during sleep
In fact, one study found that people who slept fewer than 5 hours per night had a 61% higher risk of developing high blood pressure than those who slept 7 hours
Affects sugar metabolism and type 2 diabetes risk
Short sleep is associated with a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance — which is when your body cannot use the hormone insulin properly.
In fact, an analysis of 36 studies in over 1 million participants found that very short sleep of fewer than 5 hours and short sleep of fewer than 6 hours increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 48% and 18%, respectively
It’s thought that sleep deprivation can cause physiological changes like decreased insulin sensitivity, increased inflammation, and hunger hormone changes, as well as behavioral changes like poor decision making and greater food intake — all of which increase diabetes risk
Poor sleep is linked to depression
Mental health concerns, such as depression, are strongly linked to poor sleep quality and sleeping disorders
One study in 2,672 participants found that those with anxiety and depression were more likely to report poorer sleep scores than those without anxiety and depression. In other studies, people with sleeping disorders like insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea also report higher rates of depression than those without
Supports a healthy immune system
Lack of sleep has been shown to impair immune function
In one study, participants who slept fewer than 5 hours per night were 4.5 times more likely to develop a cold compared to those who slept more than 7 hours.
Poor sleep is linked to increased inflammation
Poor sleep can have a major effect on inflammation in the body. Sleep plays a key role in the regulation of our central nervous system. In particular, it’s involved in the stress-response systems known as the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis
Sleep loss, especially from disturbed sleep, is known to activate inflammatory signaling pathways and lead to higher levels of undesirable markers of inflammation, like interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein
Over time, chronic inflammation can cause the development of many chronic conditions, including obesity, heart disease, certain types of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and type 2 diabetes
Affects emotions and social interactions
Sleep loss reduces your ability to regulate emotions and interact socially. When we’re tired, we have a harder time controlling emotional outbursts and our behaviors in front of others. Tiredness may also affect our ability to respond to humor and show empathy Plus, those who are chronically sleep-deprived are more likely to withdrawal from social events and experience loneliness
Summary
Along with nutrition and exercise, taking care of your sleep is one of the pillars of health.
Lack of sleep is associated with many negative health effects, including increased risk of heart disease, depression, weight gain, inflammation, and sickness.
Though individual needs vary, most research suggests that you should get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night for optimal health.
Just like you prioritize your diet and physical activity, it’s time to give sleep the attention it deserves.
Numerous studies have associated short sleep — defined as sleeping fewer than 7 hours per night — with a greater risk of weight gain and a higher body mass index (BMI)
In fact, a 2020 analysis found that adults who slept fewer than 7 hours per night had a whopping 41% increased risk of developing obesity. Meanwhile, sleeping longer didn’t increase the risk
The effect of sleep on weight gain is believed to be affected by numerous factors, including hormones and motivation to exercise
Sleep deprivation increases levels of ghrelin and decreases levels of leptin. Ghrelin is a hormone that makes us feel hungry while leptin makes us feel full. This may cause us to feel hungrier and overeat
To compensate for lack of energy, sleep deprivation may make you crave foods that are higher in sugar and fat, due to their higher calorie content.
And to make matters worse, feeling tired after a night of too little sleep may leave you feeling unmotivated to hit the gym, go for a walk, or do any other physical activity you enjoy.
So, prioritizing sleep may support healthy body weight.
Can improve concentration and productivity
Sleep is important for various aspects of brain function. Cognition, concentration, productivity, and performance are all negatively affected by sleep deprivation.
A specific study on overworked physicians provides a good example. It found that doctors with moderate, high, and very high sleep-related impairment were 54%, 96%, and 97% more likely to report clinically significant medical errors
Studies have also shown that getting enough sleep can improve academic performance in children, adolescents, and young adults. And getting a good sleep has been shown to improve problem-solving skills and enhance memory performance in both children and adults
Can maximize athletic performance
Sleep has been shown to enhance athletic performance. Numerous studies have shown that adequate sleep can enhance fine motor skills, reaction time, muscular power, muscular endurance, and problem-solving skills
A lack of sleep may increase your risk of injury and lower your motivation to exercise. So, getting enough sleep may be just the thing you need to take your performance to the next level.
May strengthen your heart
Low sleep quality and duration may increase your risk of developing heart disease. One analysis of 19 studies found that sleeping fewer than 7 hours per day resulted in a 13% increased risk of death from heart disease
Another analysis found that compared with 7 hours of sleep, each 1-hour decrease in sleep was associated with a 6% increased risk of all-cause mortality and heart disease.
What’s more, short sleep appears to increase the risk of high blood pressure, especially in those with obstructive sleep apnea — a condition characterized by interrupted breathing during sleep
In fact, one study found that people who slept fewer than 5 hours per night had a 61% higher risk of developing high blood pressure than those who slept 7 hours
Affects sugar metabolism and type 2 diabetes risk
Short sleep is associated with a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance — which is when your body cannot use the hormone insulin properly.
In fact, an analysis of 36 studies in over 1 million participants found that very short sleep of fewer than 5 hours and short sleep of fewer than 6 hours increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 48% and 18%, respectively
It’s thought that sleep deprivation can cause physiological changes like decreased insulin sensitivity, increased inflammation, and hunger hormone changes, as well as behavioral changes like poor decision making and greater food intake — all of which increase diabetes risk
Poor sleep is linked to depression
Mental health concerns, such as depression, are strongly linked to poor sleep quality and sleeping disorders
One study in 2,672 participants found that those with anxiety and depression were more likely to report poorer sleep scores than those without anxiety and depression. In other studies, people with sleeping disorders like insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea also report higher rates of depression than those without
Supports a healthy immune system
Lack of sleep has been shown to impair immune function
In one study, participants who slept fewer than 5 hours per night were 4.5 times more likely to develop a cold compared to those who slept more than 7 hours.
Poor sleep is linked to increased inflammation
Poor sleep can have a major effect on inflammation in the body. Sleep plays a key role in the regulation of our central nervous system. In particular, it’s involved in the stress-response systems known as the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis
Sleep loss, especially from disturbed sleep, is known to activate inflammatory signaling pathways and lead to higher levels of undesirable markers of inflammation, like interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein
Over time, chronic inflammation can cause the development of many chronic conditions, including obesity, heart disease, certain types of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and type 2 diabetes
Affects emotions and social interactions
Sleep loss reduces your ability to regulate emotions and interact socially. When we’re tired, we have a harder time controlling emotional outbursts and our behaviors in front of others. Tiredness may also affect our ability to respond to humor and show empathy Plus, those who are chronically sleep-deprived are more likely to withdrawal from social events and experience loneliness
Summary
Along with nutrition and exercise, taking care of your sleep is one of the pillars of health.
Lack of sleep is associated with many negative health effects, including increased risk of heart disease, depression, weight gain, inflammation, and sickness.
Though individual needs vary, most research suggests that you should get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night for optimal health.
Just like you prioritize your diet and physical activity, it’s time to give sleep the attention it deserves.
