Leading a healthy life is what most of us aim at. If eating healthy and exercising makes it to your “must do” list, then a good sleep should very well be the next entry in it.
Sleep time is when your body and brain do quite a bit of work that’s key to your health. In this blog, we shall be exploring the importance of sleep and why it is inevitable in our daily lives.
And here is why you should let your body sleep…
1. To Improve your body’s immune functions
Sunidra: Blog – Immunity
When you sleep, the immune system releases cytokines, a type of protein which helps fight infection or inflammations, and helps handle stress. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation may decrease the production of these protective cytokines.
2. To reduce the risk of diabetes
Sunidra Blog: Diabetes
When you force yourself to stay awake, your body secretes cortisol, a stress hormone, which helps you do so, but, at the expense of production of insulin in the body. And Insulin’s job is to help the body use glucose for energy. As a result of sleep loss, there occurs a situation of insulin resistance, resulting in high blood sugar, which is basically diabetes.
3. To improve Concentration
Sunidra Blog: Concentration
when sleep deprived, you tend to wake up tired, yawn during conversations, you may have less patience, and fall asleep during the day. Paying attention to almost nothing, because all you can think of is ‘sleep’. Therefore lack of sleep impairs our executive functions.
Good night’s sleep helps you think with clarity, retain information, and make decisions more accurately. Also making you more productive.
4. Reduces risk of heart diseases and stroke
Sunidra Blog: Cardio
Although it is not completely clear, extensive research has shown that lack of sleep is largely responsible for cardiovascular problems. Sleep deprivation can affect the underlying health conditions and produce an imbalance in the biological processes such as glucose metabolism, blood pressure, and inflammation.
5. Helps tackle Depression
Sunidra Blog: Depression
Sleeplessness and Depression have a complex relationship themselves. Either of them can trigger the later. But, interestingly, sleeping better helps overcome the feeling of remorse, anxiety, hopelessness, and disinterest in things which you once used to take an interest.
Sleep, simply, makes us feel better.
After a long day at school, college, work, exhausting workout, tiring chores at home, a tussle with your friend, the list goes on and whatever may be the reason, all you crave is for a good night’s sleep. Right?
And when we wake up, you wake up fresh, probably don’t remember the fight, and put up a lighter mood. That was Sleep to your rescue. A good 8 hours of sleep on an average can take care of all the above-listed issues.
Therefore it’s important to remember to get a good night’s sleep.
