The Importance of Sleep

Sleep is a vital component of human health that has been fine-tuned over millions of years of evolution to enable almost all of the body’s daily functions. Unfortunately, in today’s modern world, the ability to communicate across time zones and work overnight or on irregular shift patterns has interrupted the body’s natural course of sleep, which can lead to a wide range of mental and physical health issues.

When you get enough sleep, your immune system is stronger, so you’re less likely to get sick. Getting a good night of rest also helps your brain process emotions so you’re not overreacting or reacting negatively to situations. In addition, sleep allows your body to replenish its energy and refocus its attention.

The reason why sleep is so important is not completely understood by scientists, but researchers have discovered that sleeping resets the brain and removes toxic waste byproducts that may accumulate throughout the day. This is similar to how a computer is cleaned by using a “garbage disposal” program.

In terms of the physical effects, sleep allows your blood pressure to decrease and the muscles to relax. It also gives your body’s organs a chance to heal and regenerate. The cellular activity that occurs during sleep is necessary for the brain to form new memories and build the connection between the neurons of your brain, which are called synapses. This is what allows you to focus and remember things.

During the night, your brain cycles through four stages of sleep. The first stage is called non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and the last phase is rapid eye movements (REM). NREM sleep plays a critical role in your emotional and psychological well-being as it allows the brain to make memories and learn from experiences. In the absence of adequate sleep, these memories can become distorted or forgotten, which can impact your mood and emotional stability.

If you don’t get enough sleep, your blood pressure increases and you’re more likely to be overweight or obese. This can lead to heart disease and high blood sugar. A lack of sleep can also increase the levels of cortisol, which is a stress hormone that can cause a wide variety of symptoms including headaches, anxiety and chest pain.

Getting enough sleep has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases. In fact, a recent study found that getting enough sleep was just as important for your health as regular exercise, a healthy diet and not smoking. However, despite this growing knowledge, many people still don’t get enough sleep, particularly Black and Latino people, those with low socioeconomic status and those who work overnight or on irregular shifts over long periods of time.