Are you feeling run down? Having trouble remembering what you did yesterday? Have you put on a few pounds and can’t figure out why you are craving potato chips all the time?
The answers to these questions could be a variety of reasons or just one … sleep.
Does it seem simplistic that getting a good night’s sleep solves all your problems? Not really. Sleep is essential to good health in so many seemingly unrelated ways. A good night’s sleep is defined as a solid eight hours of uninterrupted sleep so that you can go through the multiple cycles allowing your brain to recharge.
Here are five reasons that you should focus on getting a good night’s sleep:
Insomniacs Shouldn’t Drive
Many studies have shown that cutting down on snooze hours is harmful to your health. A lack of sleep and continuous drowsiness can result in serious accidents. Why do you think there are signs on the highway warning drivers to take a break if they are feeling drowsy? Driving tired can be almost as dangerous as driving drunk. Being sleep deprived slows your reaction timing and weakens alertness.
According to the National Highway Safety Administration, fatigue has caused about 100,000 car crashes annually that resulted in 1,500 deaths.
Cramming Late At Night Can Make You Dumb
Are you studying last minute for a final exam at 2 a.m.? Did you stay up super late to finish that presentation you have to make at 9 a.m.? Being better organized can not only get you more sleep, but it will alsohelp you be smarter.
A lack of sleep impairs your attention span, concentration, reasoning and problem solving. It makes learning difficult, and as an added bonus, can make you dumb.
Sleep is essential to aid your brain in retaining knowledge and memories. Your brain needs certain sleep cycles to file away the information you learned the previous day.
So unless you want to flunk your exam or embarrass yourself at work, get a good night’s sleep before doing any high pressured task.
Sleep Your Way to Good Health
People with sleep disorders tend to have health issues made worse by insomnia and suffer from heart conditions, diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke.
According to research, 90 percent of people with sleep problems have health issues. The insomnia is is exacerbated by weight gain that is connected with sleep issues. Sleeping releases a hormone that acts as an appetite suppression. Without the production of that hormone, insomniacs wander around craving foods especially unhealthy food containing high fat and lots of carbohydrates.
If you want to maintain proper organ function and keep your weight under control, get a good night’s sleep.
Sleep for Great Sex
It’s hard to understand how couples have more than one child. Anyone with children knows that sleeplessness and kids leads to exhaustion, depleted energy, tension and irritability. It’s hard to entice your partner to having a romp in be when your sex drive is low and you have no interest in sex.
What folks don’t realize is that sleeplessness can also lead to depression and anxiety. So it’s unlikely you’ll feel like having sex if you barely want to interact with others.
The good news is getting into good sleep habits can help relieve depression and stir your libido. To pump up your sex drive get lots of sleep, which should provide you the energy to have sex.
Sleep For Beauty
How many times have you heard someone say, you need your beauty sleep. It’s not just a saying. It sounds quirky, but look at the results of sleeplessness: dark bags under the eyes, saggy skin, fine lines accentuated by insomnia and puffy eyes.
When you sleep your body produces the human growth hormone. This is essential for your children because the hormone helps bodies grow. As we get older the human growth hormone increases our muscle mass, strengthens bones and thickens our skin.
So if you desire a more rested, beautiful appearance, get lots of sleep.