Sleep is the most essential factor for our overall well-being, which can offer numerous health benefits to both physical and mental health. This post discusses about the health benefits of adequate sleep. So, getting a good sleep is similar to that of eating healthy foods.
After reading this article you will come to know the importance of adequate sleep and it's health benefits.
Note: As I'm not an health expert to discuss all the details about sleep. This article is only about health benefits of adequate sleep and some important sleep facts you might never aware of before.
And this article was developed from my own experience and observational research. However, all the details provided in this article are only for informative and educational purpose only.
The below points illustrates some of the surprising health benefits of adequate sleep.
Sleep acts as a natural stress buster which can reduce both physical and mental stress. Whenever you become tired physically or mentally, you automatically feel sleepy and that is because your brain demands for a sleep. So, adequate sleep can relax our muscles, repairs tissues and promotes release of hormones like serotonin and dopamine, which are associated with positive mood and happiness, which can contribute to a sense of calmness and relaxation to the mind by minimizing the levels of stress hormones such as cortisol.
Sleep can hugely impact our brain health. Moreover, getting a good amount of sleep can have a positive impact on our brain functions like problem solving, concentration, memory and decision making abilities, which are highly important in our daily life activities to think, focus, remember and recall things more efficiently.
Inadequate sleep can also be the reason behind the fatigue and tiredness. Sufficient sleep allows our body to increase energy levels, recovers from prolonged activities, reducing physical and mental exhaustion. By providing the necessary rest, sleep helps to combat fatigue, improves overall alertness, productivity, and physical function during the wake hours.
Good sleep plays a crucial role for both eye health and facial beauty. During sleep the eyes rest, which reduces strain, dryness and irritation from long hours of staring. A quality sleep also reduces dark circles around eyes, puffiness, wrinkles and therefore enhancing a fresh appearance of the eyes.
During sleep, our brain also eliminates toxins that builds up while being awake. The glymphatic system, a waste clearance system in the brain, becomes more active during the sleep and least active while awake, which facilitates the removal of metabolic waste products and neurotoxins that accumulate while we are awake. This includes 𝛃-amyloid, a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease.
We all have experienced this in our life time, after getting sufficient sleep, our mind becomes more lighter and feels refresh. This is because, mental stress is often caused due to excessive thinking, which causes brain's energy to deplete. During sleep, our brain undergoes various mental restoration process and maintenance, which includes flushing out toxins and reduces mental stress and fatigue by relaxing nerves around the brain.
Good sleep plays a vital role in repairing the skin and building muscles. During sleep, our body undergoes restorative processes and releases growth hormone, which helps in muscle growth, repairs broken tissue from prolonged activities, develop healthy skin, reduces signs of aging and promotes healthy complexion. Additionally, sleep supports muscle recovery and growth by facilitating protein synthesis. So, getting sufficient sleep helps in promoting optimal skin health and muscle development.
Stress and lack of sleep can also be one of the main reason for the hair loss and thin hairs. Getting adequate sleep is crucial for maintaining healthy hair and preventing hair fall. During sleep, our body repairs and rejuvenates the hair follicles. While lack of sleep can negatively impact hormone levels and increase stress, leading to hair loss and thin hairs. Prioritizing quality sleep can promote hair growth and overall hair health.
Heart loves good sleep. Sufficient and quality sleep supports a healthy cardiovascular system by reducing the risk factors associated with heart diseases. It also helps to regulate blood pressure, heart rate, and inflammation levels. Additionally, sleep deprivation has been linked to an increased risk of conditions like hypertension, heart attacks, stroke, and irregular heart rhythms. So prioritizing good sleep habits can lead to better heart health and overall well-being.
1. There's No Best Sleep Position
Yes, you read it right. You can either sleep left, right, upside or downside stomach according to your comfort. But, make sure you change the position during the sleep hours. But sometimes you automatically switch your sleep position according to your comfort and that's a good thing.
2. Your Sleep Hours Also Depends On Your Activities
In most cases, sleeping late at night makes you wake up late in the morning. It is because our body usually needs 8hrs of efficient sleep to stay healthy. But this will not be the case when you sleep early, the moment you sleep early, your body can cover up 8hrs or more sleep hours efficiently. Also the moment when you wake up automatically or early in the morning is also the sign that you had a nice sleep at night time.
Going to sleep immediately after having a meal can negatively impact our health. When we lie down or sleep, our digestive process slows down, leading to poor digestion and various discomfort such as indigestion, acid reflux or heartburn and also increases the risk of developing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Washing your face before going to the bed can make you feel fresh and relax, which helps you to sleep better. This can be one the simple and effective tip to sleep better at night time. You don't even need to take bath unless you feel more sweat.
Having daytime sleep can also be one of the main reason for not getting the proper sleep at night time. However, having a short nap during daytime is fine. But sleeping 2-3 hours during noon or evening can make you difficulty in sleeping at night time.
Drinking a glass of milk before going to the bed can make you more sleepy. This is because, milk contains tryptophan, an amino acid that promotes the production of serotonin and melatonin, hormones involved in regulating sleep. This can help induce a sense of relaxation and helps in falling asleep.
Reading books at night time can make you sleepy, because reading is stressful and requires grasping of the actual concept which causes mild stress to your brain and that makes you sleepy.
From this article, we came to know that how adequate sleep can have numerous positive impact on our health. Almost 50% of our health usually depends on the quality sleep itself. And we also discussed some interesting sleep facts, and tips to fall asleep quickly. So, I hope you find this article helpful.
1. Reduces Physical And Mental Stress
Sleep acts as a natural stress buster which can reduce both physical and mental stress. Whenever you become tired physically or mentally, you automatically feel sleepy and that is because your brain demands for a sleep. So, adequate sleep can relax our muscles, repairs tissues and promotes release of hormones like serotonin and dopamine, which are associated with positive mood and happiness, which can contribute to a sense of calmness and relaxation to the mind by minimizing the levels of stress hormones such as cortisol.
2. Supports Cognitive Functions And Memory
Sleep can hugely impact our brain health. Moreover, getting a good amount of sleep can have a positive impact on our brain functions like problem solving, concentration, memory and decision making abilities, which are highly important in our daily life activities to think, focus, remember and recall things more efficiently.
However, not getting enough sleep can negatively impact your brain functions leading to the poor memory, concentration and decision making abilities, which in-turn can affect the quality of your daily life activities and overall well-being.
3. Boosts Strength And Immunity
Good sleep can boost strength and also enhance our immune system. According to research, adequate sleep improves athletic performance, promotes muscle building and physical strength by producing growth hormones. Additionally, sleep can also be crucial for the immune system, as it helps in regulating immune responses, promotes the production of immune cells and strengthens the body's defense mechanism to fight against infections and diseases. And that is why most illness usually reduces during the sleep than being awake.
Good sleep can boost strength and also enhance our immune system. According to research, adequate sleep improves athletic performance, promotes muscle building and physical strength by producing growth hormones. Additionally, sleep can also be crucial for the immune system, as it helps in regulating immune responses, promotes the production of immune cells and strengthens the body's defense mechanism to fight against infections and diseases. And that is why most illness usually reduces during the sleep than being awake.
4. Reduces Fatigue
Inadequate sleep can also be the reason behind the fatigue and tiredness. Sufficient sleep allows our body to increase energy levels, recovers from prolonged activities, reducing physical and mental exhaustion. By providing the necessary rest, sleep helps to combat fatigue, improves overall alertness, productivity, and physical function during the wake hours.
5. Promotes Eye Health And Facial Beauty
Good sleep plays a crucial role for both eye health and facial beauty. During sleep the eyes rest, which reduces strain, dryness and irritation from long hours of staring. A quality sleep also reduces dark circles around eyes, puffiness, wrinkles and therefore enhancing a fresh appearance of the eyes.
Moreover, sleep is a natural anti-aging process, it repairs the skin, reduces signs of aging, wrinkles and promotes healthy complexion, resulting in a refreshed and glowing face.
6. Eliminates Toxins
During sleep, our brain also eliminates toxins that builds up while being awake. The glymphatic system, a waste clearance system in the brain, becomes more active during the sleep and least active while awake, which facilitates the removal of metabolic waste products and neurotoxins that accumulate while we are awake. This includes 𝛃-amyloid, a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease.
So, adequate sleep helps the glymphatic system to efficiently flush out all these toxins to keep our brain healthy.
7. Makes Mind Fresh And Relax
We all have experienced this in our life time, after getting sufficient sleep, our mind becomes more lighter and feels refresh. This is because, mental stress is often caused due to excessive thinking, which causes brain's energy to deplete. During sleep, our brain undergoes various mental restoration process and maintenance, which includes flushing out toxins and reduces mental stress and fatigue by relaxing nerves around the brain.
8. Repairs Skin And Build Muscles
Good sleep plays a vital role in repairing the skin and building muscles. During sleep, our body undergoes restorative processes and releases growth hormone, which helps in muscle growth, repairs broken tissue from prolonged activities, develop healthy skin, reduces signs of aging and promotes healthy complexion. Additionally, sleep supports muscle recovery and growth by facilitating protein synthesis. So, getting sufficient sleep helps in promoting optimal skin health and muscle development.
9. Reduces Hair loss And Maintains Healthy Hair
Stress and lack of sleep can also be one of the main reason for the hair loss and thin hairs. Getting adequate sleep is crucial for maintaining healthy hair and preventing hair fall. During sleep, our body repairs and rejuvenates the hair follicles. While lack of sleep can negatively impact hormone levels and increase stress, leading to hair loss and thin hairs. Prioritizing quality sleep can promote hair growth and overall hair health.
10. Promotes Heart Health
Heart loves good sleep. Sufficient and quality sleep supports a healthy cardiovascular system by reducing the risk factors associated with heart diseases. It also helps to regulate blood pressure, heart rate, and inflammation levels. Additionally, sleep deprivation has been linked to an increased risk of conditions like hypertension, heart attacks, stroke, and irregular heart rhythms. So prioritizing good sleep habits can lead to better heart health and overall well-being.
Sleep Facts You Never Knew Before
There are various misconceptions about sleep positions and the amount of sleep hours required for a normal person. But I would also like to share some facts concerning to sleep which are usually from my experience.
Yes, you read it right. You can either sleep left, right, upside or downside stomach according to your comfort. But, make sure you change the position during the sleep hours. But sometimes you automatically switch your sleep position according to your comfort and that's a good thing.
No matter how good is your sleep position is, but sleeping in same position for a long time, can result in body and muscle pain. So, make sure you are aware of your sleep positions.
However, health experts usually recommend 7 - 9 hours of good sleep. Well, it's not our choice to decide the amount of sleep hours we needed!, but it's our body's choice. Our body is an intelligent machine and knows the amount of sleep that is required to stay normal & healthy.
It may not be 6, 7 or 8hrs, it can vary depending on how intensely one indulge in doing any physical or mental activities. "The more you perform any physical or mental activities, the more sleep your body needs."
So, when people undergo intense physical or mental activities usually requires more sleep.
Also, according to the research, happy and enthusiastic minded people usually achieve better sleep quality and sleep cycles, also tend to fall asleep quickly due to the lower stress hormones.
But people with sadness, anxiety and depression may have a disrupted sleep-wake cycles, have difficulty in falling asleep quickly and tends to sleep longer with poor sleep quality. So, happy and calm minded people usually achieve efficient and quality sleep hours as compared to the people with stress and anxiety.
The people with mentally unhealthy tend to sleep more usually makes sense than, saying sleeping for too long can be unhealthy!
3. Sleep Early To Wake Up Early
In most cases, sleeping late at night makes you wake up late in the morning. It is because our body usually needs 8hrs of efficient sleep to stay healthy. But this will not be the case when you sleep early, the moment you sleep early, your body can cover up 8hrs or more sleep hours efficiently. Also the moment when you wake up automatically or early in the morning is also the sign that you had a nice sleep at night time.
So, if you want to wake up early, then sleep early. And this the only best tip I can suggest others to wake up early in the morning.
4. Avoid Sleep After Having Meals
Going to sleep immediately after having a meal can negatively impact our health. When we lie down or sleep, our digestive process slows down, leading to poor digestion and various discomfort such as indigestion, acid reflux or heartburn and also increases the risk of developing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
It is recommended to wait at least 1hr or 2hrs max after a meal before lying down or going to sleep to avoid all such digestive problems. At least 1hr gap is usually required even after consumption of light meal. And also avoid sleeping with empty stomach, as your body can start to break down your muscle for nutrients and energy.
Tips To Get Into Sleep Mode Quickly
Some people fall asleep quickly at night due to their daytime activities, and some listen to music to fall asleep. Btw, I would like to share some tips which can help you to sleep better at night time.
1. Wash Your Face Before Going To Bed
Washing your face before going to the bed can make you feel fresh and relax, which helps you to sleep better. This can be one the simple and effective tip to sleep better at night time. You don't even need to take bath unless you feel more sweat.
2. Avoid Daytime Sleep
Having daytime sleep can also be one of the main reason for not getting the proper sleep at night time. However, having a short nap during daytime is fine. But sleeping 2-3 hours during noon or evening can make you difficulty in sleeping at night time.
3. Drink A Glass Of Milk
Drinking a glass of milk before going to the bed can make you more sleepy. This is because, milk contains tryptophan, an amino acid that promotes the production of serotonin and melatonin, hormones involved in regulating sleep. This can help induce a sense of relaxation and helps in falling asleep.
4. Read Books
Reading books at night time can make you sleepy, because reading is stressful and requires grasping of the actual concept which causes mild stress to your brain and that makes you sleepy.
However, reading dictionaries can be more effective as compared to reading books, which can make you fall asleep quickly. All you need to do is, try to find the meaning of 20 random words, by the time you finish them, you feel more sleepy.
Conclusion
From this article, we came to know that how adequate sleep can have numerous positive impact on our health. Almost 50% of our health usually depends on the quality sleep itself. And we also discussed some interesting sleep facts, and tips to fall asleep quickly. So, I hope you find this article helpful.
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