Good quality sleep will directly affect your mental and physical health and the quality of your waking life, and therefore, conversely, a lack of good quality sleep will severely impair the following:
Immunity function
For me, this is the most important reason to get sleep. When sleep levels are low, your body becomes highly vulnerable to stress. In times of stress, our immune system cannot operate as well, and our hormones start to function incorrectly. Rises in inflammatory proteins and blood sugar respond to lower levels of insulin in the night. These spikes in inflammation and blood sugar increase the risk of disease – including hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Oh – and don’t forget the common cold.
Mental health & Mood
After a night of no sleep, I am sure everyone can remember making bad choices and silly mistakes in life, in business, and with food. Repeated over time, this can leave us irritable and mentally exhausted with frustration, sadness, and anger. For long periods of time, this can escalate to depression and even burnout.
Cognitive Function & Productivity
Without sleep, our mental performance suffers, impairing clarity, and reducing productivity. Not ideal for anyone, especially in the fast-paced lifestyles and workplaces of today.
Memory
Dreams are present with good quality sleep. Dreams have been shown to consolidate your memory, sift through the information, and help with emotional healing, subconsciously allowing you to ‘let go’.
Bodyweight
Sleep deprivation has been linked to obesity and weight gain. It will mess with your hormones by increasing levels of one (ghrelin for those interested) which then suppresses the hormone that regulates your appetite (leptin). If you want to stop eating so much, snacking on the wrong thing, one of the best things you can do is get to bed! Sleep is your natural appetite suppressant. And it's FREE!
Energy levels
When your body and organs haven’t been given the time they need to recover from the day, heal, and rest, over time, you may find yourself exhausted. This exhaustion, inability to get up, speak, or move is often a sign of adrenal fatigue and a clear sign your body is stressed. The answer is simply to sleep.
Skin and hair
‘Beauty sleep!’ It’s true, getting your 7-9 hours will slow down the aging process, especially when you realize that your skin is your biggest organ and also needs to rest and repair. Don’t forget, sleep costs less than the pretty pots in Duty-Free.
Good sex. This is a good one to finish on!
When ‘I’m too tired’ no longer becomes an excuse! When you have good sleep, you feel good in your body, you are in a good mood, your energy is peaking. You are in good health and spirits – the perfect combination for your libido.
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