What You Need To Know About Sleep
|More and more research is showing just how vital the amount and quality of sleep you get is. Lack of sleep can lead to a wide variety of physical and mental ailments. Prolonged lack of sleep can result in disastrous consequences including diabetes, heart issues and stroke. Even losing a few hours a week can lead to higher risks of depression, loss of productivity, and higher stress. Long-term lack of quality sleep can have negative consequences on the way one looks with an increase in wrinkles and other skin issues.
Good diet and exercise are known factors to improve overall health, but sleep is just as, if not more, important. No matter what one’s age, people during and after their teenage years should aim for 7-9 hours of sleep. There is a lot that goes on when you sleep. The body repairs mind and physical functions and it acts as a reset for your entire body. The ability to concentrate fully the next day, or even learn new tasks, is decreased after just one night without the right amount of sleep. The bottom line is you can take on new information and learn new skills with more ease depending on the sleep you had. Your emotional well-being is tied to the sleep you get. Mood swings, depression, and anxiety are all linked to lack of sleep.
The long-term effects on the body are now becoming well known, but even one night without the proper amount of sleep can have immediate negative consequences. The day after a poor night of sleep, the chances of an accident are dramatically increased. Even tasks that we take for granted, like driving or paying attention while walking around are much harder to do without the right amount of sleep.
The quality of sleep is just as important. It is normal to wake up once or twice during the night, but constantly tossing and turning because you cannot get and stay asleep defeats the purpose of getting 7-9 hours. One of the main causes of that is the level of comfort that you can get while sleeping. There is no point counting the hours if the sleep was interrupted.
Sleep needs to be regular. It does not work to try and catch up all the sleep you lost during the week all in one go at the weekend. The body needs 7-9 hours every night of unbroken sleep. A change in lifestyle goes a long way to making sure that happens, but also having the best environment in which you sleep is the biggest factor in getting the best night’s sleep.
Author Bio: Paige Jirsa- I work with Top10.Today, a shopping comparison site, where we strive to help consumers find the best quality and priced products.