The necessary amount of sleep per night is good for a healthy body and mind. It is highly recommended that an adult gets between 7-9 hours of good sleep every day.
According to medical experts, getting a good night’s sleep isn’t just about the number of hours spent in bed, but getting a good night’s sleep regularly within that period.
The benefits of a good night’s sleep are enormous. Below are five importance of sleeping well;
1. Stronger Immune System
By getting a good night’s sleep, the immune system is strengthened and you are less likely to get diseases and infections.
During sleep, the body produces a protein called cytokines, which target infections and inflammation, triggering an immune response. The body also makes T cells during sleep, which are white blood cells that play a critical role in our body’s immune response to an infectious disease such as COVID-19.
When a person is sick, there is a tendency to sleep more than usual. This is because the body rests and repairs itself while a sick person sleeps.
2. Healthy Heart
Good quality sleep has been proven to reduce the work of your heart as blood pressure and heart rate drop at night.
Sleep-deprived people show less variability in their heart rate, meaning that instead of fluctuating normally, the heart rate usually stays high.
Lack of sleep can increase insulin resistance, a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
3. Mental Well-being
There is no doubt that sleep helps the body recover from both mental and physical exertion.
With the strong relationship between sleep and health, poor sleep can increase the risk of ill health, and ill health can make it harder to sleep.
Insufficient sleep can be one of the first signs of stress, which is the cause of common mental health problems such as panic disorder, anxiety and depression.
4. Healthy weight loss
A good night’s sleep helps the body maintain a healthy weight because you don’t eat while you sleep.
Getting enough sleep is an important part of a healthy weight loss plan. Most importantly, research has shown that losing sleep while dieting can reduce the amount of weight loss and encourage overeating.
Essentially, you don’t eat while you sleep. This means less calorie intake which promotes healthy weight loss.
5. Mental Alertness/Optimal Intelligence:
A good night’s sleep helps the brain to focus and be alert. It also helps in making good decisions. The brain, like other parts of the body, needs rest.
A good night’s sleep helps the brain to rest and prepare for the tasks of the coming days.
