Sleep is an integral component of life; however, many are unaware of its influence on overall health. A lack of restful slumber may have adverse consequences on one’s overall wellness.
Poor sleep can result in numerous health complications, from obesity to heart disease. Not only are the costs associated with medical treatments increased but sleep deprivation is also linked with an increased risk for fatal accidents on the roads.
1. Improves Mental Health
Get restful nights is vitally important to both physical and mental wellbeing.
Sleep provides your body with vital restorative benefits across its immune, nervous, skeletal and muscular systems.
Studies have demonstrated that poor sleep can make it more challenging to regulate emotions, increasing the risk of emotional disorders like depression or anxiety.
2. Improves Memory
Sleep helps the brain form new neural connections between different regions of the brain that play an essential role in memory storage and retrieval, known as memory consolidation. This process can improve your ability to remember information over time.
Studies show that even short amounts of sleep can have an impactful impact on memory retention, making it essential to get enough rest before an exam or presentation.
3. Reduces Risk of Heart Disease
Sleep is essential to overall health; but did you know it can also lower the risk of heart disease?
Recent research suggests that people with irregular sleep patterns are more likely to accumulate artery plaques – a major risk factor for heart disease.
American Heart Association recently made a recommendation that adults should aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night as part of its “Life’s Essential 8” factors that impact cardiovascular health.
4. Reduces Risk of Cancer
Sleep helps our bodies recover from daily wear and tear. Major restorative functions, including tissue repair, muscle growth and protein synthesis are performed almost entirely during our slumber.
Multiple studies indicate that insufficient sleep may increase cancer risks for several types of tumors, including breast and prostate cancers; yet its precise mechanism remains unknown.
5. Reduces Risk of Diabetes
Good sleep has numerous advantages, one being reduced diabetes risk. When you don’t get enough restful slumber, your body releases more stress hormones which compromise insulin’s ability to control blood sugar.
We conducted a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies to investigate the association between sleep duration and risk of type 2 diabetes. We observed a U-shaped relationship with lowest risk occurring at approximately 7-8 h per night of restorative sleep.
6. Reduces Risk of Stroke
Researchers found that people who get enough rest and exercise had a significantly reduced risk of stroke compared to those who did not. Individuals sleeping seven or eight hours each night and taking midday naps were 25 percent less likely to experience a stroke compared to those who slept less or none.
Stroke is one of the world’s leading causes of death and disability, affecting both developed and developing nations alike. Traditional stroke risk factors include hypertension, high cholesterolemia levels, smoking cigarettes regularly, obesity, diabetes mellitus as well as prior stroke or transient ischemic attack history.
7. Reduces Risk of High Blood Pressure
Sleep is essential in managing blood pressure. Without enough restful zzz’s, your blood pressure may remain elevated, potentially leading to serious health conditions like high blood pressure and heart disease.
Sleep can reduce blood pressure by 10-20% during normal, healthy sleeping environments; when your sleeping patterns become disturbed or poor, however, your blood pressure does not decrease as expected – known as non-dipping.
8. Reduces Risk of Obesity
Sleep is essential to maintaining a healthy weight, so getting enough restful zzz’s should be prioritized for anyone wanting to manage their weight effectively.
Short sleep duration has been associated with an increased risk of obesity, and increasing it could reduce this risk; however, its true effect remains untested under real world conditions.
9. Reduces Risk of Stroke
Acquiring enough sleep is crucial for overall health. Sleep can reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease and high blood pressure.
People who enjoy good quality sleep may also be less likely to have strokes. A recent study concluded that those scoring five or higher on a healthy sleep scale had 74% lower risk of cardiovascular conditions compared to those who scored lowest on such scores.
10. Reduces Risk of High Blood Pressure
Getting enough rest can help lower blood pressure risks for people who are currently diagnosed with high blood pressure, as your nocturnal blood pressure dips during sleep – known as “nocturnal dipping”.
Short sleep duration and insomnia have both been associated with higher blood pressure. Furthermore, working a night shift and having obstructive sleep apnea are both linked with an increased risk of hypertension.
