Many of us focus primarily on diet and exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but a good night’s sleep often gets forgotten as a vital part of a healthy routine. The truth of the matter is that if you are not sleeping right, your whole system will start to malfunction and you will neither be able to eat right nor perform well at the gym. As many people do not realize the importance of a good night’s sleep, they tend to ignore the various reasons behind their inability to sleep at night and try to tackle the situation with the help of misguided prescription drugs.
Unfortunately, sleep disorders like sleep apnea have become an inseparable part of the modern lifestyle, and you can find the signs & symptoms outlined here by Treasure Valley Family Medicine. Therefore, it is high time that we start realizing the importance of quality sleep in our lives. We have discussed here four reasons why good sleep is vital for your health so that you start considering ‘good sleep’ a priority in your life.
1. Combats weight issues:
Researchers have found a strong correlation between weight gain and poor sleep as it has been documented that people struggling to sleep well tend to weigh heavier than people who are sleeping well through the night. Various factors like hormone fluctuations and lack of motivation to exercise are stated to explain the logic behind this correlation.
When you are not sleeping well, your body will not be rejuvenated, and the motivation to exercise gets smothered automatically. Moreover, even if you muster up the energy to hit the gym, you will not be able to perform adequately as you will burn out quickly. Therefore, getting good sleep is crucial in maintaining your energy and hormone levels so that you feel urged to hit the gym and perform to full capacity.
2. Increases productivity and concentration:
Your sleeping patterns contribute heavily towards the health of your brain because people who sleep well show better rational and intellectual traits as compared to those who are suffering from sleep disorders. Various studies have shown that healthy sleep patterns lead to better cognitive and problem-solving skills. Moreover, the productivity and concentration of good sleepers are much better than bad sleepers. Some studies have drawn similarities between the impacts of alcohol and poor sleep on the health of the brain as both leads to an impaired brain function.
3. Maximizes athletic performance:
We have already discussed that a good sleep rejuvenates your energy levels and helps you gear up for the next day. Therefore, it must come as no surprise that it will also improve your athletic performance as every limb of your body will be able to extract sufficient energy from your core for proper functioning. However, sports utilize mental faculties as much as physical faculties and people getting good sleep will also experience quicker reaction times and better coordination, which will reinforce their athletic abilities.
4. Improves immune system:
People who enjoy a good night’s sleep tend to enjoy a stronger immune system as compared to those who are sleep-deprived. Some studies have proved that good sleepers are three times less likely to get flu as compared to bad sleepers. Therefore, with the prevalence of the coronavirus pandemic, the importance of good sleep and its relation with the stronger immune system has become far more applicable. Moreover, some other studies have also shown that poor sleep is associated with many cardiac disorders and medical conditions like diabetes and depression.
Therefore, like good nutrition and exercise, good sleep is also an integral component of a healthy lifestyle, and we hope that after reading this thread, you will feel urged to maintain a healthy sleeping pattern in your life.