“Hi Kunle, judging from the redness of your eyes, I doubt if you slept well last night.” “Sleep well?” Kunle quipped, “Who sleeps well these days with the rising bills, job cuts, and ever-increasing responsibilities?”
Maybe you sleep only when exhausted, but beyond resting your tired eyes, sleep is therapeutic; sleep has several health benefits.
Sleep promotes healing
Ever heard about nocturnal animals? That’s right: they roam while you sleep. Your brain is like that. It starts the most important work when you stop work. Your brain fully takes over when you sleep. Yes, your brain is awake all the time, but it’s very busy while you’re awake. But when you sleep, it swings into action, handling the most important things–growth and repairs of your body systems.
Sleep is a heart-friendly energy booster
Yes, repair and recovery don’t happen in a jiffy: they need time and energy. Sleep provides that vital energy. Taking enough rest in sleep provides the time and energy for body repairs and recovery.
Sleep helps you lose weight
Spending hours in the gym is great and beneficial. But failing to sleep robs you of those benefits. Sleep deprivation revs up your hunger hormone, increasing your cravings for food – especially the sugary, fatty ones. This causes you to gain more weight than is healthy.
Sleep boosts your mood attitude
Depriving yourself of sleep increases your risk of depression, because your body and mind goes is on an overdrive. Getting good amount of sleep daily, therefore, lowers this risk. As your eyelids close in sleep, feelings of stress and defeat fade away; your body refreshes and your mind finds time to process negative events and emotions. You wake up stronger: with a better mood and attitude to life.
Sleep boosts your memory
Do you find that you don’t remember things as swiftly as you did? Maybe you should reconsider your sleep quantity and quality. Are you getting enough sleep? Your brain consolidates what you learn during sleep, keeping information readily available for retrieval when you need them. Sleep also helps you to focus better, which helps you learn new information better.Your whole body and mind benefit from sleep. Injured body tissues are repaired, wounds are healed, and your immune cellsare boosted during sleep. You do yourself lots of good by sleeping better.
Take-home message: though experts recommend seven to eight hours of sleep per day, too much sleep could be counterproductive. So, go for it, but don’t overdo it. Moderation is key!
