The Importance of Sleep
Sleep is a natural and important function that recharges your body and mind, leaving you refreshed and alert when you wake up. It’s been convincingly linked to better health, including a healthy weight, stronger immune system, and reduced risk of chronic health problems like heart disease and diabetes. In children and teens, adequate sleep also supports mental and physical growth.
The science of sleep is relatively new, but already there are a number of important discoveries about its role in human health and well-being. One early finding was that people who are sleep deprived tend to have higher rates of mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression. Other studies have linked sleep to brain development and performance, including cognitive processing and memory. In addition, sleep has been shown to have an impact on a person’s emotions and ability to regulate them, as well as their judgment and decision making.
During sleep, our bodies go through several different cycles of activity. Some of these cycles help to consolidate memories, while others are critical for maintaining good emotional and mental health, as well as supporting healthy immune function and tissue repair. In fact, researchers have developed a whole field of medicine devoted to understanding sleep and the conditions that may cause it to be disrupted or deficient.
It’s no wonder that a bad night’s sleep can lead to a host of problems, from poor job performance and an inability to concentrate, to increased risk of chronic health problems, such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and depression. In some cases, a lack of sleep can actually be life threatening.
There is a growing consensus in the medical community that sufficient amounts of quality sleep are necessary for optimal mental and physical health. In addition to lowering the risk of certain health problems, sleep has been found to enhance creativity, improve learning and attention, and reduce impulsivity and aggression. In addition, a lack of sleep can increase the levels of stress hormones in the body and contribute to anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and other mental health conditions.
The need for a good night’s sleep has become so widely accepted that in some countries, such as Sweden, the amount of time spent sleeping is monitored by doctors to ensure compliance with recommended guidelines. In fact, research has even shown that getting the recommended amount of sleep per night lowers the risk of heart disease more than other traditional lifestyle factors like a healthy diet, exercise, and non-smoking.
Insufficient or irregular sleep is a common problem, and there are many causes. Some of these are easy to correct, such as having a regular bedtime routine and turning off electronics or other stimulating activities before bed. In other cases, such as sleep apnea, it may be necessary to visit a doctor or sleep specialist. In these cases, it is often helpful to treat both the health condition that is contributing to the sleep disruption and the sleep disturbance itself in tandem.