The importance of Sleep

As I said in my first blog post I'm returning to the subject of sleep. I recently watched a TED-talk on the subject and it remembered me how important it is to share the subject. When you're suffering from sleep deprivation your body, mind and overall health will suffer. It's pretty obvious we need to sleep, but many people still miss out on a good night sleep. There are many things to be gained from a good night sleep, you just need to see them first.

Here's a brief overview what happens when you sleep well, or have a bad night. (Russell Foster 'Why do we sleep?' for the link to the TED-talk click here.)

This TED-talk highlights some interesting benefits that come with a healthy sleep pattern. On the contrary there are a lot of health problems linked to a lack of sleep. I will highlights some of the benefits first.

Improve Memory

During sleep your mind will process the impressions of that day. This process is important for memory formation. A research from the journal 'Sleep' showed that people who slept 6 hours scored less on a test than people who slept for 8 hours.

Improve Concentration

A bad night sleep can keep you struggling all day. Half of the people who have poor sleep also have problems concentrating during the day.

Improve your Mood

Two thirds of people who filled in an QVC survey blamed lack of sleep when they feel irritated. Only 1% of the people in the survey said to feel great when they wake up.

Keeping your Figure

Lack of sleep slows your metabolism down drastically.This makes it easier for your body to gain weight. Getting plenty of sleep is a good step towards a healthy body.

Some more benefits..

• Ability to make better decisions
• Live longer
• Sleep prevents getting ill
• Better sex
• Remember things more clearly
• Increased creativity
• Lower stress

While I always like to focus on the bright side of things (the benefits), it's also important to take a look at some of the downsides to sleep deprivation.

Not getting enough sleep is linked to..

• The flu
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Brain function and Mental health
• Obesity

For more information on the downsides click here.

And remember...