We spend 1/3rd of our lives sleeping – or at least we’re supposed to. Three out of five of us aren’t getting the recommended 7-8 hours sleep per night that we need to give our bodies the best possible benefit from this downtime. Frequent lack of sleep has been associated with weight gain, depression, and of course, tiredness. We’ve put together 5 reasons that she should start taking your sleeping habits seriously to make sure they aren’t having a negative effect on your wellbeing.
1. It’s Great For Your Memory
Sleep gives your brain an opportunity to reset and consolidate everything that it has taken in that day. People who get plenty of sleep have been shown to retain significantly more information from the previous day than their sleepless counterparts – essentially, they were learning more. Think that delaying sleep so you can study late into the night is going to give you a boost? Wrong.
2. Sleep = Gains
Sleep slows down your body and frees up blood from other resources to instead deliver nutrients to tired muscles to aid in their recovery. Put simply, if you’ve spent all day in the gym working for gains in muscle mass not getting enough sleep will be your undoing. Even if you’re not looking to make gains in the gym, giving your body time to recover during sleep is essential to make sure you prevent injuries and muscle fatigue.
3. Sleeping Regulates Your Appetite
People who regularly get the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep a night have higher levels of appetite-regulating hormones, and lower level of appetite-stimulating hormones. Ever wondered why you crave food to “keep you going” after not getting enough sleep? This is why.
4. Sleep Sharpens Your Focus
Children who get enough sleep every night have been shown to be more focused, more emotionally stable, and better behaved. It’s easy to ignore this and put it down to them being kids – but wouldn’t the world be a little bit better if all of us were a touch more focused and nicer to each other? After all, aren’t we all just big kids?
5. The ‘Beauty Sleep’ Effect is Real.
Clinical trials have demonstrated that people who don’t get enough sleep were rated to look older and more tired by their peers. It also found that lack of sleep exposed you to greater risks from the sun damaging your skin.
So treat yourself. Fix yourself up with the ultimate cosy bedroom space, make time for those bedtime rituals, and get the sleep you deserve. Your mind and body will thank you. Thinking better, looking better, eating better. Who knew sleep was the ultimate life hack?
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