Health Benefits of Sleep: Learn the Importance of a Good Nights Sleep

Sleep

The amount of sleep one needs tend to decrease with age. A one year old infant requires about 14 hours of sleep per day, a five year old child needs about 12 hours of sleep, and an adult needs 7-8 hours. Women usually require more sleep than men and the elderly normally sleep less at night than younger adults (probably because of decreased levels of serotonin and melatonin), but most tend to nap during the day.

Over the course of a year, more than half of Americans will have a difficult time falling asleep. The most common causes of impaired sleep are psychological problems, such as depression and anxiety. Foods, drinks, and medications are other factors that can cause insomnia.

Sleep is essential to both the body and the mind. Lack of sleep can impair mental and physical function.

Health Benefits of Sleep

Adequate sleep allows our body to repair itself. Because our body doesn’t have to focus on all the tasks we perform during the day when we are awake, it has more time to concentrate on fixing things. It also helps our mind to unwind and our body to recharge its energy.

Sleep keeps chemicals in our brain balanced so our mind can process out painful or stressful things from our busy day. When we don’t get enough sleep, we are less able to cope with stressors.

If you go without sufficient sleep for several days in a row, the following can be impaired:

• judgment
• performance
• patience
• short-term memory
• motivation
• vision.

People who are fatigued experience more aggression and moodiness and are more prone to develop depression and anxiety.

Other health benefits of sleep include:

Being smarter. Individuals who get adequate sleep retain more information because the brain has a chance to process information from the previous day. Students who cram all night for exams are more likely to do worse than those who get a good nights sleep.

Improving concentration. People who do not get enough sleep tend to make more mistakes. Often, those who are sleep deprived are compared to drunk drivers because reaction time is greatly decreased.

Boosting the immune system. A single sleepless night can lower immune activity. With the right amount of sleep, your body is better able to fight off infections and prevent diseases.

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