The effects of sleep have been studied extensively, especially over the past couple of years. An inadequate amount can lead to detriment to focus and awareness, which can each have their own negative effects. On average, adults are recommended around 7 to 9 hours of sleep per day, but it’s not uncommon that people fall short.
Getting an adequate amount of sleep, contrarily, has been shown to have a torrent of benefits that can significantly increase our quality of life, besides the quiet joy of waking up well rested. Three such benefits include: heart health, stress reduction and memory improvement.
Getting enough sleep can actually maintain heart and blood vessel health. It impacts the release of hormones that regulate heart function, and can influence blood pressure. Lack of sleep, however, can lead to worsening heart health and with time, heart disease.
Sleep can also influence stress, in that it’s important to get rest and relax after an especially rigorous day. A lack of sleep can even release stress hormones, which can cause irrational behavior and rash responses to negative emotions. Sleep is an important factor in resetting the body so that it can wake up feeling rejuvenated and without any leftover anxiousness from the previous day.
Finally, sleep is important for a process called memory consolidation, which processes and analyses the events and emotions of the day, categorizing them and filing them away. This process occurs during a stage called deep sleep, and is crucial to creating memories and facilitating long-term storage.
How many hours of sleep do you get a day? Let me know in the comments!
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