By: Bethany Barich (Follow on Instagram & Twitter)
There’s always so much that happens late at night. You’ve got those hilariously bad reality shows, late-night talk shows, reruns, and sappy Lifetime movies. It’s understandable how missing out on sleep can happen – but it’s not good. Waking up the next day and still feeling groggy isn’t a good feeling. When you wake up, you deserve to feel like a million dollars.
Getting those eight hours a night is vital to our mental and physical healthy. So let’s take a look at some benefits that may sway you to put away the laptop, turn the television off, and go off into a great, deep sleep.
Weight Control
I find that when I’m having one of those nights where I can’t sleep, I get hungry. That’s not necessarily good. Why? Well, because the next day, when someone is groggy and still tired, the motivation to exercise lacks severely. Sleep deprivation affects our hormones and appetite negatively, which could eventually lead to obesity. Sleeping also burns calories! Research has shown that when you get a good night’s sleep, you tend to lose more fat than muscle.
Better Memory
Next time you feel the need to stay up all night to cram on a test, think twice. Sleeping actually helps us digest and remember information. During sleep, our memories strengthen or consolidate the things we’ve learned, or have happened, that day. Research has shown that those who got good sleep performed better the following day on practical and factual type of tests.
Mood Booster
The amount, and quality of your sleep heavily weighs on how you’ll feel the next day. Find balance between work, play and sleep because it’s known that sleep deprivation can cause those to be at a high risk for depression or anxiety disorders. Emotional processing takes place while we sleep, and if we wake up the next day, feeling deprived of sleep, we’re more prone to snapping, crying and laughing uncontrollably and possibly hysterically.
Disease Fighter
Not only will getting enough sleep help build up your immunity but it’s been known that a good night’s sleep can help ward off other diseases. One major thing sleep deprivation causes is an insulin resistance, which can lead to developing diabetes. Not only that, but also not getting enough sleep can lead to having heart disease or having strokes. To fight off the serious diseases and the common cold, catch up on your sleep – try and get more than 7 hours each night.
Sex Enhancer
Remember how I said that waking up still tired could cause you not to exercise? The same applies to having sex. For men, having a low amount of sleep on a regular basis can cause a decrease of their testosterone, which they need for sexual pleasure. Overall, for both male and females, getting a good night’s rest can help increase the libido and not have you feeling too tired the following morning, afternoon or night for a little love with your partner.
Conclusion
There’s so many other reasons why getting a good night’s sleep is important – chronic stress could be helped through a good night’s sleep. You know the saying “beauty sleep?” It’s true! Getting more sleep can help make your skin look better and even more important, help removes those dark circles and bags from under your eyes. If you feel yourself getting tired, get rid of the distractions and just go to sleep. If you’re having problems with sleeping, consult a doctor or try herbal teas that are made to help with sleeping patterns.
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