Benefits of Sleep

Adequate sleep is part of a lifestyle which will benefit you in a lot of ways. A feeling of freshness and alertness is experienced when we get good quality of sleep. A good night’s sleep will not only make you feel better but also make you look better by banishing the dark eye circles.

As the Dalai Lama best puts it ‘Sleep is the best meditation.’

Here are four important benefits of sleeping-

Better Health
Studies have shown that there is a link between insufficient sleep and serious health problems in the long term such as heart diseases and diabetes. In a study in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between the years 2005 to 2008, it was found that the C reactive protein which is the main association of heart attack risks was higher in people who got six or fewer hours of sleep a night.

Better Mood
Most have experienced the crankiness associated with lack of sleep. Anger is one letter short of danger and increases when you are overtired. People who are tired become more emotional which may not help a situation. The University of Pennsylvania researchers found that subjects who were limited to only four and a half hours of sleep a night for one week felt more angry, sad and even depressed. You don’t want to be snapping at your boss at work because of a lack of sleep, do you?

Better Decisions
Many a time, you may have read about successful people sleeping 3 to 4 hours a night, which has been their secret to success. However the richest man in the world, Jeff Bezos makes it a point to get a good night’s sleep of at least 8 hours. According to Jeff Bezos, he believes that a person who has good night’s sleep has less time to make decisions but the decisions made are better. Insufficient sleep has led to various accidents such as the grounding of the Exxon Valldez oil tanker and the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger which have been seen to be linked to extreme sleep deprivation in times when operating.

Better Weight Control
Lack of sleep affects your behaviour and psychology which makes you obese. When you are sleepy, you don’t have the energy to exercise or cook a healthy meal. The hormone leptin which is a key hormone for making you feel full is reduced when there is a lack of sleep, and hence you start craving for high calorie food. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that when people lacked sleep, they ate plenty of high carb snacks.
The best part of sleep is the dreaming, so sleep and dream bigger. Don’t fret if you keep snoozing those alarms as long as you get sufficient sleep and have started the day at an advantage. Keep an eye on the time, and try to creep in at least 8 hours of sleep. Sleep tight!