Getting a good night’s sleep can revolutionise your life. Not only do you feel more awake, but there are also a number of lesser-known benefits of sleep that may make you consider spending more time in your bed. Sleep is vital for our mental and physical wellbeing, so you must never underestimate the importance of it.
At Bed Guru, we’ve put together 10 benefits that a good night’s sleep provides.
1 - Improves your attention span and concentration levels
When tiredness sets in, one of the first things you notice is how hard it is to concentrate. Even simple tasks like checking the time or recalling a phone number can become frustrating. Lack of sleep wreaks havoc on our brains' ability to maintain focus. So if you have a big decision to make or a long drive ahead of you, it’s incredibly important to get a good night's sleep.
2 - Helps to reduce stress
If you become sleep-deprived, your body begins to produce more stress hormones - a direct result of our fast-paced lifestyles. So, if you have a stressful event coming up or work is getting the better of you, more sleep should be your first port of call to prevent unnecessary stress and the dreaded burnout.
3 - Helps you form memories
Sleep is not only great for your body, but it’s also great for your mind too. You may have noticed when you feel sleep deprived you struggle to remember even the simplest things, which can lead to any number of embarrassing situations.
During sleep, while your body rests and recovers, your brain is busy organising and storing the day's events. This process of consolidation is when your brain is thought to create and store memories, knowledge, and even learned skills.
4 - Maintain Weight
Although sleep doesn’t directly help you to lose weight, it does help to maintain and keep your weight under control. Less sleep means less energy, which leads to more cravings for calorie-dense foods during the day. If you’re a gym-goer, sleep is a key ingredient to help your muscles recover after an intense workout.
5 - Keeps your heart healthy
A lack of sleep can actually increase the likelihood of things like high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. Waking up on a regular basis is thought to stimulate your bodies ‘fight or flight’ response system. This is essentially how your body physically reacts when it senses you’re in danger. Overly stimulating this can cause your blood pressure to increase.
Maintaining a regular sleeping pattern is even thought to maintain heart health and reduce your chances of a stroke or heart condition.
6 - Increases your creativity
If you’re an artist or creative person lacking inspiration, you may be able to look to your sleeping pattern for answers. We know that sleep is vital for a healthy brain, so it makes sense that it could also help you draw upon memories and experiences to inspire new ideas.
7 - Improves your athletic ability
Do you have a major sporting event coming up? Then you’ll want to spend as much time in your bed as you do in training. Sleep helps to improve your stamina and lessens the amount of fatigue you feel when active. More energy, improved focus, and better concentration all contribute to better performance when it matters.
8 - Puts you in a better mood
The more sleep you get, the happier you are. This can have a huge impact on your life and the people around you. When sleep-deprived, it's easy to feel agitated and more likely to lose patience with colleagues or loved ones. The more sleep you get, the easier it is to control your emotions.
If you have a job interview, a well-rested version of you is far more likely to impress than one that’s sleep-deprived and irritable.
9 - Helps to improve your mental health
Sleep not only has great benefits on our physical health, but also has a huge impact on our mental health. Dr Raymonde Jean, Director of Sleep Medicine stated:
"A lack of sleep can contribute to depression. A good night’s sleep can really help a moody person decrease their anxiety. You get more emotional stability with good sleep."
He also suggests we need to focus more on sleeping during the week and not just catching up over the weekend.
With this in mind, check out experiencing the healing power of sleep to find out more about why sleep is so beneficial.
10 - Boosts your immune system
While you sleep, your body releases protein molecules called cytokines that help to fight against disease and infection. So if you feel like you’ve got a cold or some form of illness coming on, make sure you get an early night to bolster your immune system and help your body rid the bad guys.
At Bed Guru we’re dedicated to helping you to get the sleep you deserve. If you’re struggling to sleep it may be time for a new mattress. Get in touch with us today and we’ll help you choose the one that’s perfect for you.