The rewards of a good night’s sleep

When you think about it, it’s ironic how a lot of what happens when we’re awake relies on sleep. Our alertness and focus hinges on the amount of sleep we get. Rest and recovery work best while we doze off in dreamland. It seems that even longevity could have links to our sleeping patterns. 

Let’s examine more closely how sleep impacts our day-to-day lives along with the long-term effects. Once you’ve see the far-reaching influence of sleep, you’ll be convinced that only a few hours of shuteye each night definitely doesn’t suffice.

Productivity 

There are many fringe benefits to a regular sleep cycle. Here’s one: waking up early allows you to get a lot of things done early on. This allows you to have more time for things you want to do later in the day. Being well-rested and having enough sleep is the catalyst you need for optimum productivity.

Mental health benefits 

Studies have also shown that regular sleep helps improve the mental health of people with chronic health conditions. Sleep disorder clinics have attested that a good chunk of their referrals are suffering from psychological disorders, and that people who get enough sleep are far less inclined to feel depressed or anxious. The link between proper sleep and mental health is as clear as day.

Sleep and nutrition 

People tend to have an imbalanced intake of food when they lack sleep. That’s because we often overcompensate, eating and drinking more in order to ‘fuel’ our wakefulness. This often leads to consuming excessive amounts of unhealthy foods, with a negative impact on our health. 

When you have enough sleep, there is less need to binge on undesirable foods. One is therefore more easily able to steer clear of the sugary stuff and cut down on the junk food. Higher-quality sleep also means you’re not fatigued which means you stay more focused and awake and less likely to keep snacking between meals.

Better decision-making 

It’s tough to make critical decisions when your focus and alertness is not at the right level. This is true whether it’s being more productive at work, or even during something as trivial as driving your car. Sometimes, even the most basic decisions can be tough when you have to make them coming off a sleepless night. 

So, getting sufficient healthy rest is a great way to help ensure you will make the right choices when you need to. That’s because you’ve rested and refreshed your mind, allowing you to think and assess thoroughly. That makes the popular phrase: let’s “sleep on it” even more meaningful!

Keep it regular 

Late nights definitely impact on one’s wakefulness during the day. Getting only a few hours of sleep at night has an effect that can last for days. Everyone has experienced the tiredness caused by lack of sleep after long red-eye flights. It can take days to get over the resulting jetlag. 

On the flip side, there is no drawback when it comes to getting high-quality sleep on a regular basis. There is simply no substitute for the regenerative effect of a good night’s sleep. While some can function relatively well even after pulling an all-nighter, constant lack of sleep has undeniable and undesirable negative long-term effects. 

As sleep is such an important part of our lives, we need to make sure we get enough of it. If you haven’t been getting enough sleep consistently, it’s time to check what habits or activities you can change to remedy this. 

Start working on getting adequate sleep tonight and reap all the daily rewards right away!