How much sleep did you get last night? Do you know getting a good restful night sleep is essential to our physical and mental health?
Our bodies regulate sleep in much the same way that they regulate eating, drinking, and breathing. This suggests that sleep serves a similarly critical role in our health and well-being.
Here are 4 big reasons you should do everything you can to ensure that you get a good night's sleep tonight:
1. Sleep Can Take Away Your Stress
"Sleep is a powerful stress reducer. Following a regular sleep routine calms and restores the body, improves concentration, regulates mood, and sharpens judgment and decision-making. You are a better problem solver and are better able to cope with stress when you’re well-rested. Lack of sleep, on the other hand, reduces your energy and diminishes mental clarity." from www.sleepscore.com
When you don’t get enough sleep, your body naturally releases more cortisol (aka the stress hormone) and you’re likely to experience more stress and anxiety during your wakeful hours. So it’s fair to say that the more you sleep (within reason of course) the less stress you’re likely to experience during the day.
2. Sleep Boosts Your Brain Power
"Animal and human studies suggest that the quantity and quality of sleep have a profound impact on learning and memory. Research suggests that sleep helps learning and memory in two distinct ways.
First, a sleep-deprived person cannot focus attention optimally and therefore cannot learn efficiently. Second, sleep itself has a role in the consolidation of memory, which is essential for learning new information.
Without adequate sleep and rest, over-worked neurons can no longer function to coordinate information properly, and we lose our ability to access previously learned information." A resource from the division of Sleep Medicine of Harvard Medical School
This proves our teachers right when they said to get a good night’s sleep before that big test. A well rested brain can better remember things (like the names of all of Jupiter’s moons). A good sleep helps you feel sharper and more attentive.
3. Sleep Increases Immunity
With the current pandemic, we’re all looking for ways to increase our immunity right now. Getting more sleep might be one of the easiest things you can do to fight against a cold or virus. This happens because when you sleep your body releases a hormone called cytokines, which promotes sleep, and this same hormone is needed to counter infection, inflammation, and stress.
That’s why if you’re feeling a cold is coming on, get some rest right away to help minimize the severity or length of the cold.
4. Sleep Boosts Mood
You’ve probably experienced it yourself. After you have a bad night's sleep, you struggle to function the next day. You’re slow and groggy, and that affects your mood for most of the day. The University of Pennsylvania did a study that found when test subjects were limited to 4.5 hours of sleep just once per week, they experienced higher levels of stress, anger, sadness, and felt more mentally exhausted.
Now you might be thinking to yourself “Ok, yeah I know I need to get a better or longer sleep, but I just don’t know how!”
Even small things can help you get a deeper, better night sleep:
- Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and sugary foods or drinks close to bedtime
- Drink a warm glass of milk or some “Sleepy Time” tea
- Try journaling, meditation, or reading a book
- Install blackout curtains to block light from early morning sunrises
- Turn off devices and electronics a couple hours before bedtime (the blue light from screens blocks naturally occurring melatonin, which is needed to make you sleep)
Better Sleep Contributes to Healthier Lifestyle - Linen Bedding by Sömn
Another one of our favourite sleep-better tips is to make sure you’re comfy in your bed. A comfortable pillow and sheets can make a huge difference. Natural linen sheets and bedding sets are great because they're naturally moisture wicking and naturally breathable fabric. It might just be the one thing you need to get a deeper sleep tonight!