Why it is so important to sleep well?
Do you know why it’s so important to get a good night’s sleep? Well, I had to learn it the hard way. When I had my second child I had what I called “mumnesia“: mum and amnesia. I was so sleep-deprived that I forgot things, for example, I would forget where I had put my key, or I forgot to buy something very important for the house. But that wasn’t the only thing, I would get upset about silly things very easily, I would get anxious and I was not tolerant with myself or with my family. I was a mess!
mumnesia: mum + amnesia
And the problem wasn’t really having a newborn baby who required a lot of attention and feeding at night, the problem was my lack of education towards the importance of sleep. And although everyone told me, especially my own mum, I did not listen.
At first I would wake up several times during the night to feed my baby, but eventually, I would wake up because I was so anxious that I wanted to see if my baby was breathing properly. I used to completely ignore my body, and I’m a little embarrassed to admit it, especially now that I’m an advocate for listening to your body!
There’s a lot more education about sleep nowadays. And now more than ever, getting a good night’s sleep is a big priority in my life. I even have a record of how much I sleep I get at night. I do that thanks to my sleep tracker ring, which is similar to a smart watch. And there are several apps in the market that can help you keep track of your sleep. Thanks to this log I’ve realised that the best time for me to go to sleep is before 10:30pm because that’s when I get the more of the restorative “deep sleep“.
Sleep is essential for our mental health and immune system. There are so many things that happen in our brain and our whole body while we sleep. And below is a good reminder of some of those things and why it is important to get between 7-9 hours of sleep each and every day.
This is why it is so important to sleep well:
- Sleeping well keeps your heart healthy. While you sleep, your blood pressure drops, giving your heart and blood vessels a little rest.
- It helps keep your immune system working well. To help you avoid illness, your immune system identifies harmful bacteria and viruses in your body and destroys them. Continued lack of sleep changes the way your immune cells work. They may not attack as quickly and you may get sick more often.
- It lowers your stress. When your body has poor sleep, it goes into a state of stress. The body’s functions become highly alert, which causes high blood pressure and the production of stress hormones.
- While you’re sleeping, your brain processes your emotions. Your mind needs this time to recognise and react in the right way. When you don’t get enough sleep, you tend to have more negative and less positive emotional reactions. (This is exactly what happened to me when I had mumnesia.
- It reduces inflammation. The increase in stress hormones caused by lack of sleep raises the level of inflammation in the body.
- Sleep makes you more alert. A good night’s sleep makes you feel energised and alert the next day.
- It improves your memory. During sleep, your body may be resting, but your brain is busy processing your day, making connections between events, sensory input, feelings, and memories. Deep sleep is a very important time for the brain to create memories and connections, and better sleep will help you remember and process things better.
- Sleep can help you lose weight. Researchers have found that people who sleep fewer hours a night are more likely to be overweight or obese. Lack of sleep is thought to affect the balance of the body’s hormones that affect appetite.
- Napping makes you smarter. Napping during the day (if you can) is an effective and good alternative for your overall health and can make you more productive. People who nap show much lower levels of stress. Napping also improves memory, cognitive function and mood.
- Sleeping may reduce the risk of depression. Sleep affects many of the body’s chemicals, including serotonin. People with serotonin deficiencies are more likely to suffer from depression. You can help prevent depression by making sure you get the right amount of sleep – between 7 and 9 hours each night.
- Sleep helps the body repair itself. Sleep is a time to relax, but it is also a time when the body works hard to repair damage caused by stress, ultraviolet rays, and other harmful exposures. Your cells produce more protein while you sleep. These protein molecules form the building blocks of the cells, allowing them to repair the damage.
And in case you have neglected your sleep so far, get back on your pillow and give your body the importance it deserves! Share this information on Facebook and help others!
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