The Benefits of a Good Night’s Sleep

Getting your seven to eight hours sleep makes you feel better, but its importance goes way beyond improving your mood and combatting baggy eyes. Getting a good night’s sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle and can benefit your heart, weight and mind.

Various studies have proven that getting too little sleep directly impacts your health. If you’re regularly sleeping less than seven hours, then here are four key reasons to schedule in enough time to get a good night’s sleep, every night.

Improved Health   

We can’t guarantee that getting a good night’s sleep will stop all health implications, but various studies have linked insufficient sleep to a variety of health problems; including diabetes, heart attacks, heart disease and obesity.

Serious health problems only tend to develop after years of sleep abuse. However, one study found concerning alterations to blood glucose levels which qualified as pre-diabetic in young healthy adults – after just four days of simulated disturbed sleep.

Whilst more research is being conducted on sleep abuse in young adults, this initial study highlights the potential dangers of prolonged lack of sleep.

Clearer Head and Positive Attitude

Lack of sleep can affect your cognitive function and ability to make competent decisions. Various studies have suggested that sleep deprived individuals are considerably worse at problem solving – compared to after they’ve had a good night’s sleep.

Along with struggling to function, lack of sleep can seriously affect your mood. Research has shown that lack of sleep affects your emotional regulation – meaning you’re more likely to snap or experience mood swings. If you’ve ever felt irritated in the morning, it may be because your body trying to tell you that you haven’t had enough sleep.

Weight Control

Various studies have found that lack of sleep can seriously impact your weight. This is mainly due to two key reasons:

–          Physiological: The hormone leptin helps regulate how full you feel; leptin hormone levels drop with lack of sleep – meaning you are more likely to be hungrier, and opt for more high-calorie and high-fat foods.

–          Behavioural: being overtired makes you less likely to have the energy to go to the gym after work, or cook a healthy dinner with fresh ingredients.

Improved Memory

Not getting a good night’s sleep can affect both your short and long-term memory. Feeling tired throughout the day makes you more likely to forget small tasks, or miss out important details at work.

Getting a good night’s sleep allows our brains to consolidate memories from the day. If you’re missing out on quality sleep, then these memories aren’t being stored correctly, or can be lost completely.

Lack of sleep can also increase the chance of creating false memories!

Bedding

Whilst a cosy bed can’t make you get a good night’s sleep, the thought of knowing just how comfy your bed is may help you get into it earlier.

If you’re looking for new bedding items to make your bed as irresistible as possible, Sleepy People offer a range of exceptionally comfy pillows, duvets and mattress toppers.

To experience true comfort, we recommend a luxury mattress topper. Toppers are a great way to revitalise old mattresses and add layers of extra comfort to your bed!