Do you know how much sleep you should be getting every night?
It's probably more than you think.
The average adult needs between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. If you're not getting enough sleep, your body may struggle to stay at its ideal weight, and your physical and mental health could be in danger.
Sleep is when the body and mind get a chance to rest and recharge. It's when the physical structure of your brain makes connections that it needs in order to function well during the day. Sleep helps you to think, remember and learn. And on top of all that, it helps you to stay healthy. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute says that people who sleep for at least seven to eight hours each night have a 50 percent lower risk of heart attack, stroke or death from any cause than those who sleep less than five hours per night.
Here are some reasons why we all should be prioritising sleep:
1. Lack of sleep can lead to overeating
When you're tired, it's easy to reach for a bag of chips or a pint of ice cream because those foods are high in calories and low in nutrients—and they give you an immediate boost of energy. You can fall into this trap even when you're not hungry, just because you want something sweet or salty on hand for an emergency pick-me-up.
2. Poor sleep can lead to hormone imbalances
Sleep deprivation can cause hormone imbalances that affect metabolism and hunger levels. For example, lack of sleep increases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline while decreasing leptin (a hormone that tells the brain we're full) and ghrelin (a hunger hormone). This combination creates a perfect storm for overeating and weight gain!
3. A bad night's sleep can make it difficult to regulate insulin levels
Lack of quality sleep can make it harder for your body to regulate insulin levels—so if you have any sort of blood sugar issues (like diabetes), this could be a problem for you.
4. Pool sleep can increase the chances of developing depression and anxiety
Sleep can help improve mood and relieve stress symptoms like depression or anxiety disorders - even if there isn't an underlying cause for this type of mood change (such as a chemical imbalance). Sleep deprivation has been shown to increase the production of the stress hormone cortisol (which makes you feel stressed and anxious) and lower serotonin levels (which is linked to depression).
5. Sleep is when your body repairs and recovers
Sleep is important for your physical health because it allows your body to heal itself. When you're sleeping, your body is working hard to repair damage caused by stress and other factors, such as exercise which can cause damage to cells and tissues.
6. Sleep helps you think clearly and perform optimally at work or school.
A good night of sleep can help you focus and be more productive during the day by improving your attention span, problem-solving skills, creativity, memory recall, and critical thinking skills—all essential components of success in any field!
In summary, lack of sleep can have major impacts on your health, and it will undoubtedly affect your ability to function. So make efforts to get a full night's rest each night to improve your health, avoid feeling tired, and just have more fun in life.
