Why Sleep Is Essential For Health

1. Better memory and performance

Memory: Sleep disruption may affect memory processing and formation.

Performance: People’s performance at work, school, and other settings is affected by sleep disruption. This includes focus, emotional reactivity, decision-making, risk-taking behavior, and judgment.

Cognition: By affecting stress hormones, sleep disruption may affect cognition.

2. Lower weight gain risk

Researchers suggested sleep deprivation is associated with higher levels  (the hunger hormone), salt retention, and inflammatory markers. They also noted that decreased sleep results in increased fatigue, which may affect a person’s desire or ability to exercise and maintain a healthful lifestyle.

3. Better calorie regulation

         Similarly to gaining weight, there is evidence to suggest that getting a good night’s sleep can help a person’s body take in fewer calories.

      For example, a 2022 clinical trial found that overweight adults who increased their sleep duration took in fewer calories compared with a control group.

      Adults increased their sleep by 1.2 hours on average and took in around 270 calories more irregularly than the control group. The researchers suggested that improving and maintaining healthy sleep duration could help with weight loss and obesity prevention.

4. Greater athletic performance

                     sleep is important for athletes and people participating in sports because the body heals during sleep. Other benefits include:

5. Lower risk of heart disease

          One risk factor for heart disease is high blood pressure. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source, getting adequate rest each night allows the body’s blood pressure to regulate itself.

           Getting a good night’s sleep can also reduce the chances of sleep-related conditions such as apnea and promote better overall heart health.

6. More emotional and social intelligence

          Sleep has links to people’s emotional and social intelligence. Someone who does not get adequate sleep is more likely to have issues with recognizing other people’s emotions and expressions.

            For example, 

477 participants were asked to complete questionnaires about sleep habits and emotional intelligence. People who routinely experienced higher quality sleep tended to perceive themselves as having better emotional intelligence, such as doing well in social interactions, maintaining relationships, feeling positive, and controlling impulses.

7. Preventing depression

        The review suggests that sleep loss may result in cognitive alterations that lead to depression risk.

           Sleep disturbance may also impair emotional regulation and stability and alter neural processes, which may all lead to symptoms of depression.

8. Lower inflammation

          The study suggested that inconsistent sleep, where a person goes to bed at inconsistent times or wakes up at different times each night, can disturb the body’s process of regulating inflammation during sleep.

9. Stronger immune system

         sleep helps the body repair, regenerate, and recover. The immune system is no exception to this relationship. 

         However, scientists still need to do further research into the exact mechanisms of sleep regarding*  its impact on the body’s immune system.

 How much sleep do we need?

          Sleep needs vary from person to person, depending on their age. As a person ages, they typically require less sleep to function properly.

            The breakdown is as follows:

Newborns (0–3 months): 14–17 hours

Infants (4–12 months): 12–16 hours

Toddler (1–2 years): 11–14 hours

Preschool (3–5 years): 10–13 hours

School-age (6–12 years): 9–12 hours

Teen (13–18 years): 8–10 hours

Adult (18–60 years): 7-plus hours

Adult (61–64 years): 7–9 hours

Adult (65+ years): 7–8 hours

                  As well as the number of hours, the quality of sleep is also essential. Signs of poor sleep quality include:

Waking in the middle of the night.

Still not feeling rested after an adequate number of hours of sleep.

Tips for improving sleep

                   Some things a person can do to improve sleep quality are:

1.  Avoiding sleeping in when you have had enough sleep.
2.  Going to bed around the same time each night.
3.  Spending more time outside and being more active during the day.
4.  Reducing stress through exercise, therapy, or other means.