Surprising Reasons to Get More Sleep

February 20, 2019 0

Top Benefits You Gain From Getting Enough Sleep

There are more than 80 different sleep disorders.

Yet for many Minnesota residents who feel tired during the day, the real problem is not allowing enough time to get more sleep. For them, it is not a disorder. The typical adult needs a minimum of 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night to be well rested. Many actually get less than 7 hours a night, which may lead to muscle aches and other issues that prompt a need for pain relief.

Why do humans need sleep?

Sleep provides a solid foundation that is necessary for all of your daily habits and decisions. If you make getting sufficient sleep a priority, it can help you achieve your overall wellness goals. Sleep is essential for as stress management and giving your body time to heal. If the human body and mind are well-rested, people respond to life with a better perspective and clearing understanding. Our hormones are regulated during sleep and there are other benefits too.

How much sleep do people really need?

Not every person has the same sleep needs. Research suggests that adults need seven to nine hours of sleep per night. The age of a person impacts how much sleep they need. According to the 6/13/2016 American Academy of Pediatrics Supports Childhood Sleep Guidelines, one-year-old’s need approximately 11 to 14 hours, children 6 to 12 years of age should sleep 9 to 12 hours per 24 hours on a regular basis to promote optimal health. Teenagers should get between 8 and 10. During the years of rapid human growth and learning, younger people need a heavier dose of deep sleep for optimal development and alertness.

Consistent Sleep Patterns Protect you from Metabolic Abnormalities

New research studies confirm just how important getting enough sleep is.

Tianyi Huang and Susan Redline co-authored a August 1, 2019 article titled Cross-sectional and Prospective Associations of Actigraphy-Assessed Sleep Regularity With Metabolic Abnormalities: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. They state that “compared with the cluster of few metabolic changes, every 1-h increase in sleep variability was associated with almost doubled odds for the cluster characterized by incidence of multiple metabolic abnormalities (OR 1.97 [95% CI 1.18, 3.30] for sleep duration and OR 2.10 [95% CI 1.25, 3.53] for sleep timing)”.

If you have thought that you can skimp on a night’s sleep, and catch up later, this study shows the impact. The research concluded that “Increased variability in sleep duration and timing was associated with higher prevalence and incidence of metabolic abnormalities even after consideration of sleep duration and other lifestyle factors.”

The personal health benefits listed below will help you want to get more sleep.

5 Benefits your Body Gets from Sleep

1. Better Cognitive Reasoning

Individuals who need sleep and ignore that human need often have issues recalling details and finding their memory is reliable. Since sleep plays a significant role in managing headaches, education and the ability to recollect things accurately, you gain so much by taking care of your sleep habits. With sufficient rest we all focus and take in new details and experiences with a higher aptitude. Your brain capacity has limits as to time that is required to properly file memories to enjoy or learn from later.

What is the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage of sleep?

There is a level of sleep called the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep. It’s when your brain organizes and files the important information from your day. It also identifies unimportant details and files long-term memory. If this stage of your sleep cycle is shortchanged, your mental focus, patience, and acuity may decrease and impact your work day. Additionally, having numbed reasoning skills ups the likelihood that you’ll feel cranky and be short-tempered with others.

Sleep empowers your brain to be ready for the moment and your future.

2. A Positivity Boost

We all need to feel positive enough to get the important things done. Another sleep benefit is that your brain processes your emotions while you are not cognitively thinking, which can lead to a sense of personal reassurance come morning. Your emotional state improves during sleep in order to identify life happens better and react the right way. When you interrupt the sleep processes you need, most people experience increased negative emotional reactions. You and everyone you know benefit from your positive responses to life’s circumstances and others’ differing opinions.

A chronic absence of sleep may produce long-term mood disorders. Medical research has indicated that when people suffer from insomnia, they are five times more likely to develop depression and your odds of anxiety or panic disorders are even greater.

Refreshing, full nights of sleep help you hit the reset knob after a stressful time, improve your personal self-awareness, and help you to overcome sleep apnea challenges with greater ease.

3. A Stronger Heart

During a deep sleep, your blood pressure subsides which provides your heart and blood vessels a bit of a reprieve for their task load while you are awake. The right amount of restful sleep you obtain, the longer your blood pressure remains at optimal levels throughout a 24-hour cycle. When high blood pressure becomes an issue, it may trigger heart disease, including stroke or other unwanted stresses on your body.

Monitoring your heart activity and health will help you identify when short-term down time or naps provide long-term payoffs.

Strokes occur during the early morning hours. Some believe it us due to the way sleep interacts with the blood vessels. A lack of sleep has been associated with the worsening of blood pressure and cholesterol levels. So, sleep correlates to your risk factors for both heart disease and stroke. Adequate sleep is one way form of chronic pain prevention.

4. Physical Health

Does a lack of sleep really impact a person’s overall health?

Yes, it does. The benefits of sufficient slumber go beyond reducing risks of a heart attack and stroke. If your profession is to play sports, that typically require immediate and dependable bursts of energy. Think of the long-jump, Minnesota hockey, wrestling, powerful golf swings, or weightlifting, sleep deprivation might have less immediate impact for more endurance-demanding events like if you running, swimming, or hiking. Regardless of this, you benefit from almost any form of exercise that support or builds your physical health.

In addition to stealing your energy and the rest time that your body needs for muscle repair, a lack of sleep drains your will to move and do things. Achieving daily successful sleep means getting your body to the finish line in many incremental ways. You can overcome harder mental and physical challenges and enjoy faster reaction times.

A lack of sleep at night can make you cranky the next day. And over time, skimping on sleep can mess up more than just your morning mood. Studies show getting quality sleep on a regular basis can help improve all sorts of issues, from your blood sugar to your workouts.

5. Sufficient Sleep Makes Losing Weight Easier

Researchers have discovered that individuals who sleep fewer hours per night more often struggle with being overweight or obese. A lack of sleep impacts the balance of your hormones which in turn affect your appetite. The hormones ghrelin and leptin are used by your body to regulate appetite; they have been found to get disrupted by a lack of sleep. If you want to maintain or lose weight, remember that getting adequate sleep on a consistent basis is something to factor into your dieting equation.

Proper rest sets your Body up for Optimal Performance.

The truth is – your body pays for it if you don’t give it adequate sleep.

We are here to help you reduce the odds of unwanted metabolic changes due to poor sleep. If it is not easy to protect your sleep duration on your own, it is time to see a specialist. Cory Herman, DDS and the MN Head and Neck Pain Clinic team welcome the chance to partner and talk in person about why you should develop good sleep habits.

Check our team of sleep help professionals and Call 763-577-2484

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