THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP
Sleep is a normal and reversible state of reduced responsiveness to external stimulation. When asleep physiological changes of brain activity as well as fluctuations in hormone levels and relaxation of muscles occur which rejuvenates the body and restores its healthy functioning.
Sleep is a time for relaxation, during which the body is hard at work repairing damage caused by stress, ultraviolet rays, and other harmful exposure. Body cells produce protein molecules when asleep forming the building blocks for cells, allowing them to repair the damage of the day so we can stay healthy.
Sleep brings joy on a baby’s face, brightness and blissful expression on the face of all living beings giving a sense of respite and relief after a long day’s work and charges our body with renewed vigour and stamina to drive us to perform to our best the next day.
A good night’s sleep is essential and incredibly important for a person’s health and wellbeing, just as important as eating healthy and exercising.
People are now sleeping less than they did in the past, and sleep quality has decreased as well. Sleep is often seen as a luxury rather than a necessity in today’s fast-paced world. Sleep often is the first thing that busy people squeeze out of their schedules. Making time to sleep will help us protect our health and well-being now and in the future.
Nancy Rothstein Sleep Ambassador beautifully pointed out that ” Sleep is mandatory and we cannot outsource it or negotiate it—and it has a powerful impact on everything we do while we are awake. So we need to build habits to optimize our sleep to achieve sleep wellness and live our best life.”
It can have a tremendous impact on our performance and also affects how we interact with those around us. Ranging from mood stability and concentration to immune health and muscle recovery, sleep is vital to a healthy life.
In fact, our brain and body stay remarkably active while we sleep. Recent findings suggest that sleep plays a housekeeping role that removes toxins in our brain that build up while we are awake.
1) Good sleep ensures weight control -Sleep helps maintain a healthy balance of the hormones that make us feel hungry or stimulate appetite (ghrelin) or full or hormone that suppresses appetite (leptin). When we don't get enough sleep, our level of ghrelin goes up and our level of leptin goes down. This makes us feel hungrier than when we are well-rested.
Sleep deprivation disrupts the daily fluctuations in appetite hormones and is believed to cause poor appetite regulation. Being tired, we are less likely to want to get up and move our body. Together, this is a sure recipe for putting on some excess weight. Those who get adequate sleep tend to eat fewer calories than those who don’t. Short sleep duration is associated with an increased risk of weight gain and obesity in both children and adults.
2) Good sleep can maximize problem-solving skills and enhance memory. Poor sleep has been shown to impair brain function. Good sleep is linked to various aspects of brain functions related to concentration, cognition, productivity and performance Good sleep results in a sharper brain and plays a big part in both learning and memory. Without enough sleep, the brain also doesn't have enough time to properly store memories so we can pull them up later. Executive function involves complex thinking, such as the ability to problem-solve, plan, and make decisions. Deep sleep is a very important time for our brain to make memories and links, and getting more quality sleep will help us remember things better in the long run. Sleep away for good memories.
3) Good sleep ensures athletic achievement -Besides robbing us of energy and time for muscle repair, lack of sleep saps our motivation to accomplish health goals. We face a harder mental and physical challenge and see slower reaction times. Proper rest sets us up for our best performance. Longer sleep has been shown to improves and enhances many aspects of athletic and physical performance. Poor sleep is linked to slower walking, lower grip strength, and greater difficulty performing independent activities.
4) Sleep quality and duration can have a major effect on many health risk factors. These are the factors believed to drive chronic diseases, including heart disease. Sleeping 7-8 hours a day, helps maintain a healthier heart. While we sleep, our blood pressure goes down, giving our heart and blood vessels a bit of a rest. The less sleep we get, the longer our blood pressure stays up during a 24-hour cycle. High blood pressure can lead to heart disease, including stroke. During sleep, our body releases growth hormones that keep our heart and blood vessels healthy. Lack of sleep has been associated with worsening blood pressure and heart function.
5) Sleep restriction affects blood sugar and reduces insulin sensitivity This adversely affects glucose metabolism and makes them more at risk for Type 2 diabetes. During the deep, part of our sleep cycle, the amount of glucose in our blood drops. Without enough time in this deepest stage means we don't get that break to allow a reset and the body will have a harder time responding to our cells' needs and blood sugar levels. Sleep deprivation can cause pre-diabetes in healthy adults in as little as 6 days. Many studies show a strong link between short sleep duration and type 2 diabetes.
6) Poor sleeping patterns are strongly linked to depression, especially for those with a sleeping disorder. It’s been estimated that 90% of people with depression complain about sleep quality. Poor sleep is even associated with an increased risk of death by suicide. Those with sleeping disorders like insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea also report significantly higher rates of depression than those without .The brain when one is asleep processes our emotions to recognise and react the right way. Lack of sleep leads to more negative emotional reactions. Chronic lack of sleep can also raise the chance of having a mood disorder, depression and anxiety. Refreshing slumber helps us hit the reset button on a bad day, improve our outlook on life, and be better prepared to meet challenges.
7) Getting about 8 hours of sleep can improve our immune function and help fight the common cold. Loss of sleep often impairs the immune system and makes them more prone to getting colds and contracting infections. Proper sleep helps germ fighting and reduces inflammation. Our immune system identifies harmful bacteria and viruses in the body and destroys them warding off illnesses. Sleep regulates our immune system. Chronic inflammation damages the body and increases the risk of many health conditions, including ulcers, dementia, heart disease, and more.
8) Sleep affects our body’s inflammatory responses. Poor sleep is linked to inflammatory bowel diseases and can increase our risk of disease recurrence. Sleep can have a major effect on inflammation in your body. In fact, sleep loss is known to activate undesirable markers of inflammation and cell damage. Poor sleep has been strongly linked to long-term inflammation of the digestive tract, in disorders known as inflammatory bowel disease
9) Sleep deprivation impairs our social skills and ability to recognize people’s emotional expressions. Poor sleep affects our ability to recognize important social cues and process emotional information and realise expressions of anger and happiness. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times helps us function well throughout the day. People who are sleep deficient are less productive and take longer to finish tasks, with slower reaction time, and make more mistakes.
Sleep deficiency is not only harmful on a personal level, but it also can cause large-scale damage. For example, sleep deficiency has played a role in human errors linked to tragic accidents, such as nuclear reactor meltdowns, grounding of large ships, and aviation accidents.
Medical conditions have been linked to sleep disorders, including heart failure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke or transient ischemic attack (mini-stroke), depression, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Here are some tips for you to get a good night’s sleep and overcome sleep deprivation:
Have a set bedtime routine, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day
Try to keep the same sleep schedule on weeknights and weekends. Staying up late and sleeping in late on weekends tends to disrupt our body clock's sleep– wake rhythm.
Use the hour before bed for quiet time. Avoid strenuous exercise and bright artificial light, such as from a TV or computer screen.
Avoid heavy or large meals within a couple hours of bedtime.
Avoid nicotine (cigarettes) and caffeine (including caffeinated soda, coffee, tea, and chocolate). Nicotine and caffeine are nerve stimulants, and both substances can interfere with sleep.
Ventilate the bedroom and maintain proper hygiene of bed linen
Spend time outside every day and be physically active.
Keep the bedroom quiet, cool, dark or dimly lit.
Take a hot bath before going to bed.
So let us all make sleep an integral part of our healthy lifestyle to embark on a beautiful and meaningful journey of life filled with good health and happiness.
Referral links:
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sleep-deprivation-and-deficiency
https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/benefits-sleep-more
https://www.apa.org/topics/sleep/why
https://www.verywellhealth.com/top-health-benefits-of-a-good-nights-sleep-2223766
-Chandrani Vivek Bagdey
