11 Surprising Health Benefits Of Sleep
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People often end up cutting down on their regular sleep hours to meet other priorities. If you think that eye bags, dark under eye circles, etc. can be easily covered up with a bit of makeup, or you do not bother about your looks at all, here is something you should definitely read about the potential benefits of sleep:
1. Increases Lifespan
Researchers have proved that people who consistently sleep for less than five hours are more prone to ailments and hence, would live shorter lives. If 24 hours a day isn’t enough for you to carry on with your dreams, can you imagine living only up to 40 and leaving behind all that you so long wished to do?
2. Improves Memory
A sound sleep gives your body complete rest. It also activates a process called consolidation in your brain that refreshes the skills and activities you learnt during the day, when you were awake. So, in this way, sleep actually boosts your memory power.
3. Increases Alertness
There is no point in attending meetings without being alert. There is nothing better than sleep to improve your alertness. Moreover, those in their formative years need to sleep more. Less than eight to nine hours of sleep is more likely to be responsible for hyperactiveness, impulsiveness, and less attention span in kids.
4. Improves Grades
Not only do kids who sleep better get better grades, but the adults who sleep better are also found to do better at the workplace. Sleep improves memory, reorganizes your creative ideas in a better way, and the result is, indubitably, your excellent performance. Add one hour extra to your regular sleep hours, apart from all the planning and strategy development you do, for boosting your performance.
5. Spurs Creativity
The activity of consolidation also helps in reorganizing and restructuring memories that help your creative juices flow in inspiring directions. There is a minimum amount of creativity that lies dormant in every individual, and the right amount of sleep helps activate this.
6. Lowers Stress
Sleep reduces blood pressure and hence, you are less prone to cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, tight work schedules without proper rest prove to be severe on your spine and may result in a multitude of neurovascular problems. So, sleep more and bid adieu to all life-threatening cardio/neurovascular diseases.
7. Curbs Inflammation
A dose of the (not extra) regular eight hours of routine sleep reduces the inflammatory proteins in your blood. Zero inflammation means zero chances of heart disease. It maintains the right blood pressure, the right blood circulation, proper pumping of blood, and excellent metabolism.
8. Improves Athletic Skills
9. Maintains Weight
It is certain that following the right diet improves your health, but only a regular eight-hour sound sleep can help you reap its benefits in a positive way. Sleep aids proper metabolism, and researches at Chicago have found that those dieters with proper sleep reduce fat by 56 percent than those without sleep. So, sleep not only improves the beauty of your eyes, it improves your overall physical beauty and helps you achieve the perfect weight you so desired. Moreover, sleep hours give rest to your digestive tract system, which would minimize the chances of developing infections, digestive stress, and the like.
10. Minimizes Chances Of Depression
Lack of sleep itself could be stressful and depressing. Proper sleep means you are more relaxed. The neurotransmitter adenosine’s buildup is responsible for depressant activities in any individual, and getting people to sleep can really help sort depression and anxiety-related disorders.
11. Reduces Accidents
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has attributed mainly three reasons for fatal accidents on roads. One is drunk driving, the other is haste, and the third is tiredness. On closer observation, it could be easily understood that haste and lack of proper planning are related to anxiety as is also tiredness, which could both be remedied through proper sleep. Also, other accidents at the workplace and home like missing a step and falling, or falling in the bathroom can also be linked to sleep. A healthy mind is always the perfect key to an alert body. So, sleep well, and put a full stop to fatal accidents.
The body machinery is never complete without a sound brain and sound physical organs, and the proper coordination of these organs is also important for your overall performance. Tossing on the bed and checking your alarm clock does not help your sleep performance. You need to do a proper workout, relax, and handle your daily chores in organized ways to get a sound sleep. Your room, your mattress, your sleep positions, your food, and your work culture are equally important for getting a sound sleep. Work on these and start leading a better life.
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