Sleep is non-negotiable:
Sleep is absolutely critical for optimal health and wellness, yet in our busy world it is often sacrificed or overlooked. If you are struggling with memory, mood, energy, weight, immune function, and hormone health issues, then lack of quality sleep could be part of the problem. Quality sleep is also a key aspect of digestive function, which is foundational for health and wellness. Your body uses sleep to recover, repair, and reset. If you have been overlooking this piece of your wellness routine, then it’s time to give it the attention that it deserves. Keep reading to learn about the importance of sleep in more depth.
Why sleep is critical for health and wellness:
Sleep is a critical time for your body to engage in a number of essential activities. During sleep your muscles, tissues, and organs undergo repair, your body synthesizes proteins, and your organ systems rest. Your brain consolidates memories while you sleep, allowing you to learn new information. Sleep is also important for hormone regulation, including hormones that impact stress, weight, cravings, blood sugar, thyroid function, fertility, and libido.
Quality Sleep Supports:
- Energy and Cognition
- Mood and Stress Tolerance
- Immune Function
- Digestive Health
- Healthy Aging
Consequences of Poor Sleep Habits:
Increased Risk of Chronic Disease: Chronic lack of sufficient sleep is associated with obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Since sleep is important for immune function and tissue repair, poor sleep habits increase your susceptibility to infection. Sleep deprivation also impacts blood sugar negatively and interferes with the regulation of stress hormones like cortisol. All of these negative effects impair your body’s ability to function optimally, promoting dysfunction and disease.
Decline in Cognitive Function and Mental Health: Sleep is critical for maintaining mental health. Quality sleep should improve overall mood and mental health by optimizing neurotransmitter receptor function and production. Sleep deprivation produces measurable changes in mental performance. A sleep-deprived brain is more likely to experience memory problems, poor decision making, difficulty learning new things, and mood instability.
Weight Gain: As previously stated, poor sleep habits can impact weight by interfering with the hormones that control hunger and satiety signals. Poor sleep also interferes with hormones such as insulin and cortisol, both of which can cause your body to store fat, particularly around your waist.
Increased Risk of Accidents and Errors: Sleep deprivation can decrease your reaction and reflex time and impair your ability to avoid accidents, which can lead to injury, or worse. A tired brain is also more likely to make errors, which can impair job performance and productivity.
How much sleep is enough?
As with most things, the amount of sleep you need is bio-individual, but typically 7-9 hours for adults is the recommended amount. Babies, children, and teenagers require more sleep, (up to 17 hours for newborns aged 0-3 months). Growth spurts may require more sleep. And we all need more sleep when we are fighting infection, or recovering from illness, or surgery. Emotional trauma is a factor as well. Experiment with different amounts of sleep and see how you feel. Use a sleep journal to determine what works best for you.
