Sleeping is essential to health and happiness, yet many of us don’t get the nightly rest we truly need. While everyone’s individual sleep needs vary, here are some universally sound reasons for getting ZZZs regularly.
Better Mood: A full night’s sleep leads to a happier outlook on life – getting 7-8 hours regularly lowers the risk of a major depressive episode in one’s lifetime.
Improved Memory: A significant lack of sleep over an extended period of time can noticeably hamper your long-term and short-term memory.
Healthier Diet: Getting plenty of rest at night causes many people to seek fewer calories during the day, decreasing the chance of unhealthy weight gain.
Enhanced Intimacy: For both men and women, regular, healthy amounts of sleep can significantly improve libido. Conversely, a bad night’s sleep will definitely kill your sex drive.
Greater Physical Health: Beneficial sleep habits help prevent against heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes and conditions like diabetes.
Stronger Immune System: Sleep helps the body’s infection-fighting capability. Meanwhile, people who get less than 7 hours of sleep per night are three times likelier to catch a cold.
Greater Mental Efficiency: Spending enough time in bed helps increase your powers of attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning and problem solving skills, allowing you to function more efficiently in work and in play.
Elevated Creativity: Sleeping 7-8 hours a night strengthens the emotional and expressive components of your brain, helping spur the creative process.
Sleep is just one element of the total wellness equation, but making sure you get enough rest each night can bring small improvements to numerous aspects of your day. Some methods of falling asleep easier: you could take a warm shower before bed, read until you fall asleep, or make sure you clear your bedroom of digital distractions like televisions and laptops.
