You Already Know You Need More Sleep, But Here’s Another Reminder
Getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night doesn’t just feel good, it is good for your body, your brain, and your emotional health. You’ve probably already seen stories online or in the local news about just how important sleep is, but just in case you need another kick in the pants to hit the hay, here you go.
Sleep Improves Memory
While we sleep, our brain processes and stores memories from the day. If you don’t get a lot of sleep, those memories could get jumbled and lost. Sleep helps the mind absorb and retain the information you gathered that day, so getting enough sleep for memory retention to perform it's best is vital. The bse minimum hours a person should sleep is 3 hours, but we suggest getting from 6-8 to experience your highest performance both physically and mentally.
Sleep Improves Your Health
Your body uses your sleeping hours to repair itself from the trials of the day. This is especially important if you hit the gym or went for a long run. Studies also show that adequate sleep is also linked to immune system health. People who get lots of sleep are more likely to have a healthy immune system than those who get seven hours or less a night. Your blood pressure will drop and your heart will be able to take a break. Sleep also causes the body to release hormones that can slow breathing, and relax other muscles in the body. This process can reduce inflammation and assist with healing. Recovery takes work and your body needs energy to work.
Sleep Keeps You Slim
Leptin is an important hormone that helps the body feel full. Research has shown that leptin levels drop when a person doesn’t get enough sleep. Not only are you too tired to hit the gym after work, you are more likely to eat more and crave high calories foods. Sleep is like nutrition for the brain. If you don't get enough sleep your body will react in ways that lead even the most determined dieter straight to the ice cream. Too little sleep triggers a cortisol spike. This stress hormone signals your body to conserve energy to fuel your waking hours, so you’re more likely to hang on to fat.
