The Benefits of Restoring your Body with Sleep

We all know that sleep is a part of life, something that everyone does but what many people do not know is just how beneficial it is to health. For years, medical professionals overlooked the importance of sleep but today, it has been proven and documented that when it comes to health and well-being, a person must get proper sleep, seven to eight hours each night. As you will see from the information provided, the benefits are unique.

• Heart – Interestingly, most heart attacks and strokes occur in the early morning hours. Doctors are now paying close attention to these statistics, believing that sleep interacts specifically with the blood vessels. If you are not getting adequate sleep, you could be putting yourself at greater risk for heart disease, attack, or stroke.

• Cancer – Another group of studies show that getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night could reduce or eliminate the risk of certain cancers such as colon and breast. Melatonin, a hormone that helps us to feel sleepy, is believed to provide protection against cancers. However, when a person is not getting adequate sleep in a dark room, the body is not capable of producing the proper amount of melatonin, thereby increasing risk.

• Stress – When it comes to ways of reducing stress, proper sleep is the best option. If the body is deprived of sleep, it becomes stressed. When this occurs, you see problems such as high blood pressure and the production of cortisol, which is a type of stress hormone. Obviously, risk would also be increased from this for heart attack and/or stroke.

• Inflammation – When the body becomes stressed because of a lack of sleep, levels of inflammation in the body begin to increase, again putting you at greater risk for serious health problems to include diabetes, cancer, and heart attack.

• Energy – You will also find that getting eight hours of sleep a night helps energize the mind and the body. For the mind, you feel more alert, being able to concentrate much better. For the body, you have more stamina and endurance to get you through the day.

• Memory – It has also been determined through numerous studies that good sleep patterns help improve memory. Although this is not completely understood, it has been found that a connection between feelings, memories, events, and sensory input are improved with proper sleep.

• Weight Loss – People who get adequate sleep every night are more likely to be successful with weight loss over those who do not get enough sleep. In some way, sleep influences hormonal balance within the body, helping to suppress appetite.

• Intelligence – An interesting aspect of taking naps is that researchers have discovered that by taking a nap in the day will help you feel refreshed while bolstering intelligence.

• Depression – Unfortunately, millions of people in the United States struggle with one form of depression or another. Because chemicals in the body are influenced by sleep, to include serotonin, depression could result. Serotonin is a chemical found in the brain that provides a sense of well-being. When levels are low due to a lack of sleep, you could easily see the development of depression.

• Repair and Restoration – During the deepest part of sleep, known as REM, the body has the ability to restore damage, which is commonly caused by sunlight, stress, and so on.

Even more important, many medical researchers believe that a lack of sleep can cause death. For instance, one particular study involved the use of rats, which typically live about three years. However, when the rats were deprived from getting any sleep, they died within five weeks. Although most people do not go without sleep altogether, this study shows the significance of getting proper sleep. Literally, your life relies on sleep and without it, you will struggle with all types of health problems, or worse.

Yes, we know that for some people, trying to get a good night’s sleep seems impossible. However, there are solutions for everything. If you work during the night and sleep during the day chances are you have a hard time getting to sleep and staying asleep. For this, you might buy special blinds with backing that helps block out 99% of light, making it feel more like nighttime. If you feel as if you toss and turn all night, flip your mattress or buy a new one. Sleep is crucial and without a proper amount of it, you can expect to pay, physically and mentally. Therefore, do all you can to ensure you get a great, restful sleep.