7 Health Benefits to Getting a Good

Night's Rest
Posted February 17, 2020 by Rami Abboud, MD

Getting better sleep doesn’t just improve your morning mood; surprisingly,
it boosts your health, too. In fact, good sleep is one of the pillars of good
health, along with eating right and exercising regularly. It’s true you can’t
achieve optimal health without catching your Zzz’s each and every night.

Sure, most of us have a bout of insomnia from time to time. The bigger
concern is chronic sleep loss.

Sleep requirements vary, but the average adult should get between seven
to nine hours of sleep every night for peak health benefits, according to the
National Sleep Foundation.

Find out the 7 surprising benefits to getting better sleep and why you
should make an early bedtime a priority. It may just be the ticket to helping
you reach your health goals this year.

Healthier Heart
While you’re sleeping, your blood pressure falls and gives your heart a
chance to rest. It also allows your blood pressure to regulate. When you cut
that time short, your blood pressure stays higher longer during each 24-
hour period. Overtime, high blood pressure can lead to heart disease or
stroke.

Weight Control

When you’re sleep-deprived, it affects the hormones in your brain that

regulate appetite. Lack of sleep not only knocks your appetite hormones
out of balance, causing you to eat more, but you also have less motivation
to get moving. It’s a recipe for weight gain. Not to mention, people who
haven’t gotten enough sleep have a tendency to choose unhealthy, higher
calorie “comfort” foods.

Improved Athletic Ability

A good night’s rest sets you up for your best performance. Not getting
enough sleep robs your body of energy and adequate time for muscle
repair. Not to mention, it zaps your motivation to keep on going, whether
you’re crossing the finish line or increasing the incline on a treadmill.
Without proper rest, you’ll face harder mental and physical challenges.

Sharper Brain Function

When you don’t get a good night’s rest, it interferes with brain function,
including concentration and productivity. It’s more difficult to focus when
you’re tired and commit new information to memory.

In addition, without adequate sleep, your brain doesn’t have enough time to
store memories so you can recall them later on. In essence, your brain
needs time to catch up so you’re ready for the next day.

Better Mood

While you sleep, your brain processes your emotions. Adequate sleep
allows you to hit the reset button, be more positive and be better prepared
to meet the day’s challenges. When that time is cut short, you tend to have
more negative emotional reactions.

In fact, some studies point to an increased risk for mood disorders with
chronic lack of sleep.

Balanced Blood Sugar

During your deepest sleep, your blood glucose levels drop. Without your
body’s time to rest and reset, it will have a harder time responding to your
cells’ needs and blood sugar level. In fact, studies have shown sleep
deprivation can cause prediabetes in healthy adults.

Immune Boost

Chronic lack of sleep can actually change the way your immune system
works and affect your body’s fighting power. Therefore, your cells may not
react to harmful bacteria and viruses as quickly, causing you to get sick
more often.