Seven Proven Sleep Benefits You Might Have Not Been Aware Of

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By: Danilo Dzikic, MD

Alongside proper diet and regular physical activity, sleep is another key ingredient to healthy lifestyle.

We’ve all been there – we have all experienced the crankiness after a night without sleep. Instead of being at your best, you are tired, cranky, forgetful and stressed.

Studies show that quality sleep – and on a regular basis – can help improve various issues, from blood sugar to workouts. There is a number of reasons why you should give your body the sleep quality it needs.

Sleep is not a luxury. It is critical to good health. Sleep helps your body repair itself.

SHARPER BRAIN

You probably noticed – it is difficult to focus, absorb new information, hold onto details if you are not sleeping well. That’s because sleep plays a big part in both learning and memory. Also, your brain doesn’t have the time it needs to properly store memories from previous day. In a way, sleep lets your brain catch up, so you’re ready for what’s next.

While you sleep, your brain is busy preparing for the next day: it memorizes new skills and files them for effective use in the morning.

Studies have shown that memory and learning is improved with sleep.

That may be one reason why babies, children and teens need more sleep than adults. It could also help people recovering from brain injuries, the researchers say.

MOOD BOOST

There is another task which brain is performing while you sleep: processing your emotions. Brain needs sufficient time in order to settle the feelings that occurred during the day, to recognize them and react the right way.

Generally, sleep loss has been shown to increase the experience of negative emotions and to reduce occurrence of positive emotions and alter the ways in which individuals understand, express and modify these emotions.

It is believed that the ability of brain to regulate emotions is the link between sleep and psychological health, so chronic lack of sleep may raise the chance of having a mood disorder. Studies showed that when you have insomnia, you’re more likely to develop depression, and your odds of anxiety or panic disorders are greater.

Both sleep quality and quantity are of great importance for maintaining good psychological health; refreshing slumber helps you hit the reset button on a bad day, improve your outlook on life and be better prepared to meet challenges.

HEALTHIER HEART

During normal sleep, blood pressure goes down, giving the heart and blood vessels a time to rest. Having sleep problems means your blood pressure stays higher for a longer period of time.

Ambulatory blood pressure studies indicate that even small increases in blood pressure, particularly nighttime blood pressure levels, are associated with significant increases in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

High blood pressure is one of the leading risks for heart disease and stroke, therefore, over time, sleep problems may contribute to worsening of heart disease.

Besides hypertension, an irregular sleep pattern is linked to a host of cardiovascular risks, including obesity and diabetes.

ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENT

The first noticeable effect bad sleep has on regular physical activity is loss of motivation and momentum, and motivation is what drives people to the finish line. Low-quality sleep or insufficient bedtime will rob one of energy and time for muscle repair.

This negative effect is mostly seen in endurance sports like running, swimming, and biking.

Proper rest will provide best performance. The National Sleep Foundation recommends these sleep times per age:

School-aged children – nine to 11 hours.

Teenagers – eight to 10 hours.

Adults older than 18 – seven to nine hours.

Applying these guidelines to everyone may be tricky. Everyone has their own optimal sleep time. To figure out one’s personal baseline overtime, pay attention to how much sleep you need to stay alert during the day and function well.

However, regularly sleeping more than 9 hours a night may do more harm than good. Research found that people who slept longer had more calcium buildup in their heart arteries and less flexible leg arteries, too. Your best bet is to shoot for 7-8 hours of slumber each night for peak health benefits.

STEADIER BLOOD SUGAR

Although it sounds contradictory, sleep can both raise and lower glucose levels. Our bodies experience a cycle of changes every day—called a circadian rhythm—which naturally raises blood sugar levels at night and when a person sleeps.

Restorative sleep might also lower unhealthy blood sugar levels by promoting healthy systems. Researchers are now beginning to uncover why sleep affects blood sugar and which underlying mechanisms are at play.

Decreased sleep is a risk factor for increased blood sugar levels. Even partial sleep deprivation over one night increases insulin resistance, which may in turn increase blood sugar levels. As a result, a lack of sleep is associated with diabetes.

GERM FIGHTING

Our immune system identifies harmful bacteria and viruses and destroys them on a regular basis. Ongoing lack of sleep changes the way immune cells work.

Studies show that people who don’t get quality sleep or enough sleep are more likely to get sick after being exposed to infectious agents (such as common cold virus). Lack of sleep can also affect how fast you recover if you do get sick.

During sleep, your immune system releases proteins called cytokines, some of which help promote sleep. Certain cytokines need to increase when you have an infection or inflammation, or when you’re under stress. Sleep deprivation may decrease production of these protective cytokines. In addition, infection-fighting antibodies and cells are reduced during periods when you don’t get enough sleep.

Good nightly rest now can help you avoid that tired, worn-out feeling, as well as spending days in bed as your body tries to recover.

WEIGHT CONTROL

It is now believed that there is an association between sleep restriction and negative changes in metabolism. Sleeping less appears to increase hunger and appetite — in particular for calorie-dense foods high in carbohydrates. Observational studies suggest that there is a connection between sleep restriction and obesity. One explanation might be that sleep duration affects hormones regulating hunger — ghrelin and leptin. Another contributing factor might be that lack of sleep leads to fatigue and results in less physical activity. Together, it’s a formula for putting on pounds.

The time you spend in bed goes hand-in-hand with the time you spend at the table and at the gym to help you manage your weight.

WHAT CAN I DO TO GET BETTER SLEEP?

Almost everyone has trouble sleeping once in a while. But if occasional episodes of poor sleep escalate into an unhealthy nighttime routine, check whether your habits are to blame. Try some basic sleep hygiene strategies:

Stick to a regular sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, including on the weekends.
Get enough natural light, especially earlier in the day. Try going for a morning or lunchtime walk.
Get enough physical activity during the day. Try not to exercise within a few hours of bedtime.
Avoid artificial light, especially within a few hours of bedtime. Use a blue light filter on your computer or smartphone.
Don’t eat or drink within a few hours of bedtime, especially alcohol and foods high in fat or sugar.
Keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet.
Work with your health care team to identify obstacles to good sleep, including other medical conditions

References:

https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/benefits-sleep-more
Els van der Helm and Matthew P. Walker “Overnight therapy? The role of sleep in emotional brain processing.”/ Psychol Bull. 2009 Sep; 135(5): 731–748. doi: 10.1037/a0016570
Cara A Palmer 1, Candice A Alfano “Sleep and Emotion Regulation: An Organizing, Integrative Review.” Sleep Medicine Reviews: 2017 Feb; 31:6-16. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2015.12.006. Epub 2016 Jan 14.
CDC: “How Does Sleep Affect Your Heart Health?”
Calhoun DA, Harding SM. / Sleep and Hypertension/ CHEST. 2010; 138(2):434-43.
Harvard Health Publishing: “A good night’s sleep: Advice to take to heart.”
Cleveland Clinic/ Health essentials: “How Even a Little Sleep Loss Hinders Your Athletic Performance”
Sleep Foundation: “Sleep and Blood Glucose Levels”
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: “Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency.”
Mayo Clinic/ Lack of sleep: Can it make you sick?
National Institutes of Health: “Molecular ties between lack of sleep and weight gain.”
Mayo Clinic: “Is too little sleep a cause of weight gain?”
https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20050629/how-sleep-helps-memory-learning
Walker, M. Neuroscience, June 30, 2005. News release, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.