Getting adequate sleep offers more than just energy for the day; it enhances physical well-being and boosts mental health. Despite the demands of work or struggles with mental health, sacrificing the recommended eight hours of sleep can have detrimental effects. Insufficient sleep jeopardises mood, behaviour, concentration, and overall energy levels. In this blog post we will be discussing 7 benefits of getting more sleep and how it can improve your day to day life.

What are the benefits?

1. Keeps your immune system strong

When we are asleep, your body produces a protein called cytokines that help regulate the way our immune system responses. Our bodies require these proteins when trying to fight off any infections or inflammation. You may notice yourself becoming more ill with the less sleep that you have, this is because your immune cell functions are compromised. When you sleep enough hours, your immune cells function in a regular manner, allowing them to effectively fight off any viruses or bacteria that enter the body.

2. Reduces stress

By sleeping the recommended amount of hours, your internal processes are able to lower and regulate cortisol within the body. Cortisol is the body’s main stress hormone that works alongside the brain to control various aspects such as your mood and motivation. It also controls how the body uses carbohydrates, fats, reduces inflammation and maintains your blood pressure. When cortisol levels are high, it can impact various aspects of your body including rapid weight gain, muscle weakness or even diabetes.

3. Improves heart health

When you sleep enough, you are massively decreasing your risk of developing cardiovascular related conditions such as heart disease and stroke. It decreases or regulates hormone levels in the body, including cortisol which can ultimately minimise the strain on the cardiovascular system. Getting enough sleep is linked to better weight management as sleep can also disrupt the hormones that regulate appetite which can lead to overeating and weight gain. These are both risk factors that contribute to the development of cardiovascular related diseases.

4. Skin appears brighter & feels stronger

The cell repairing process is accelerated when we sleep, resulting in damaged skin cells to regenerate and revitalise at a more efficient level. However, when our sleep is interrupted or inadequate, our body is unable to allow these processes to work at regular rate, slowing down the repair of the skin and making issues like scarring, signs of ageing and discolouration last for longer periods of time. Restful sleep supports the body’s hydration processes to alongside the production of collagen which why you may notice your skin appearing duller and drier when you don’t sleep enough.

5. Maintains good mental health

Studies say there is a very strong association between sleep disturbance and major depression. It also one of the symptoms of depression that causes patients to seek help for their condition. Not only does sleeping enough hours a night decrease stress which has a vast impact on an individual’s mood, it additionally regulates neurotransmitters in the brain such as serotonin or dopamine. It allows an individual to regulate their emotions by helping them to maintain a balanced perspective and respond more effectively to challenging or tricky situations.

6. Plays a role in memory formation

When we are sleeping, our brain manages and solidifies memories that we acquire throughout the day. This information is then processed from your short term memory to your long term memory storage which is vital for retaining and recalling information effectively. Sleeping also supports more than storing memories, but any newly learned knowledge or information which is essential for studying for exams or learning new skills. It allows for improved cognitive function such as attention, concentration and problem solving which are necessary for memory formation and retrieval.

7. Boosts energy levels

Energy levels can be massively improved when you sleep the recommended amount of hours a night as the energy reserves within our body can be successfully replenished to replace any lost energy from the day. Muscle repair and growth is also supported as we sleep, increasing our physical strength, endurance and minimising fatigue. As sufficient sleep contributes to our ability to store or process information, it can also contribute to increased mental clarity and alertness, resulting in increased energy levels too.