7 Reasons Why Sleep Is So Important

Everyone’s life is full of many activities to do such as working, studying, eating, playing, cooking, watching T.V and other various activities. So that, there are some people who are trying to sleep as little as possible to be able to achieve their other activities. There are many things that could seem to be more interesting than getting a few more hours of sleep, but just as exercise and nutrition are so essential for optimal health and happiness, so is sleep. The quality of your waking life, your mental sharpness, productivity, emotional balance, creativity, physical vitality, and even your weight; all of these are affected by the quality of your sleep. There is not any other activity that gives so many benefits with so little effort.

Here are 7 reasons why sleep is so important:

1. Helps to lose weight: researches have shown that people who sleep for less than 7 hours a day are more likely to be obese or overweight. So, to get a good body shape, it is better to get more sleep.

2. Reduces the risk of depression and stress: Serotonin is known as a neurotransmitter that affects our mood. The high serotonin levels create the feeling of happiness, and low serotonin levels can make us more vulnerable to depression and other disorders. So it is better to get enough sleep between 7 and 9 hours every night, as this will help you to regulate serotonin levels, thus feeling more productive and happier.

3. Reduces chronic inflammation: chronic inflammation is thought to be one of the causes of aging, to get sleep enough will help you to reduce its risk.

 4. Boosts memory: While we are sleeping and our bodies are resting, our brains are so busy processing our day, and making connections among events, feelings, experiences, and memories. This means that the sleeping time is the most important time for our brains to be able to shape memories and make their connections, which enable us to retrieve those memories in the future so easily.

5. Makes us smarter: taking a short nap during the day is very effective to make you more productive, besides being a refreshing alternative to caffeine.

6. Keeps our heart healthy: increased blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which are of the greater risk factors for heart diseases and strokes, have been associated with lack of sleep. If we get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night, our hearts will be healthier.

7. Makes us more active: the energy levels after a good sleep are higher, this means that your mental awareness will be more acute and you will feel more active.

Sleep deprivation has a wide range of negative effects, as the lack of sleep could affect your judgment, coordination, and reaction times. In other words, sleep deprivation can affect you just as much as being drunk.

The effects and harms of sleep deprivation and chronic lack of sleep:
1. Concentration and memory problems.
2. Difficulty making decisions.
3. Inability to cope with stress.
4. Moodiness and irritability.
5. Weight gain.
6. Increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems.
7. Fatigue, lethargy, and lack of motivation.
8. Reduced creativity and problem-solving skills
9. Reduced immunity; frequent colds and infections

Learn how to know that you are sleep deprived:

1. If you get sleepy in meetings, lectures, or warm rooms.
2. When you feel that you are in need to take a nap to get through the day.
3. When you fall asleep within five minutes of going to bed.
4. Getting drowsy when driving or after heavy meals.
5. When you fall asleep while watching TV or relaxing in the evening.
6. Having a hard time to get out of the bed in the morning.
7. If you need an alarm clock in order to wake up on time or if you are relying on the snooze button.

So, Do You Know How Many Hours Of Sleep You Need? The answer differs according to your age, as the number of hours which a child need a day differs from the number of hours which an adult need. Here are a list of the average sleep needs according to ages:

• The average sleep needs:

• For newborn to 2 months old: 12:18 hours.

• For children from 3 months to one year old: 14:15 hours,

• From 1:3 years: 12:14 hours,

• From 3:5 years: 11:13 hours,

• From 5:12 years: 10:11 hours,

• From 12:18 years: 8.5:10 hours.

• For the adults(+18): 7.5:9 hours.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the average adult sleeps less than seven hours per night. In today’s fast-paced society, six or seven hours of sleep may sound pretty good. In reality, though, it’s a recipe for chronic sleep deprivation.