Everyone has heard that we’re supposed to sleep eight hours per night, but do you know why getting this much rest is so important? Research has shown sleep is important in several areas of our lives, so if you aren’t getting seven to eight hours of sleep every night, it’s time to make some changes in your routine.
While you’re sleeping, your body produces certain chemicals needed to perform specific functions. Some of these are immune system boosters. If you don’t get enough sleep, you’re three times more likely to get a cold than your friend who sleeps eight hours per night.
Another chemical produced by the body during sleep is a hormone called leptin, which is responsible for appetite control. If you don’t get enough sleep, you’re liable to begin overeating. Depriving yourself of sleep will also trigger the production of stress hormones, which in turn cause your body to release more glucose into your bloodstream. Both of these problems can add up to weight gain, so if you’re not careful you can actually cause yourself to develop a weight problem simply by not sleeping enough.
Studies have also show that long-term sleep deprivation can increase your risk for inflammation in the body, in turn leading to such conditions as osteoporosis, heart attacks, and strokes. If you want to ward off potential health problems down the road, getting enough sleep each night is important.
Finally, sleep deprivation can actually reduce your reaction time and make your brain cloudy. This means you may have trouble learning new concepts at work or school, which is going to impact your life and cause more daily stress. Reduced reaction time also puts you at increased risk of car accidents, in a similar manner to driving while intoxicated. It may also mean you’re at risk for other types of accidents and mishaps as well. To ward off serious health problems, as well as stress in your daily life and potential accidents, rearrange your schedule so that you can sleep eight hours each night, uninterrupted.