The Importance Of Sleep

You would think it goes without saying, wouldn’t you? Sleep is an important part of our day to day life but there are many of us that don’t get nearly enough of it – I am guilty as charged! Despite knowing the importance of sleep, I know that I should get more of it. Are you like me?

Let me ask you a few questions. Do you have difficulty making decisions and solving problems? Do you feel like you could doze-off during daily activities, such as sitting in traffic or watching TV? Do you make mistakes and take longer than normal to complete tasks? Perhaps you have trouble controlling your emotions and have difficulty learning or remembering things? If you’ve answered yes to any of these then there is every chance that you may not be getting enough sleep.

When we don’t get enough sleep it can have a huge negative impact on our mental and physical health. Let’s look at the two separately.

Sleep and our mental health

A decent night’s sleep can work wonders for your mood and it can even go as far as to prevent depression.
Your memory will perform better and increase your problem-solving skills if you’re getting the right amount of Z’s every night.
By keeping up with a healthy sleep schedule you are more likely to stay alert, engaged and motivated for the day ahead.

Sleep and our physical health

Did you know that by getting plenty of sleep you are helping your immune system stay strong? It can be harder to fight infections such as the common cold if you don’t get enough sleep.
Whilst you’re in dreamland, your body is doing repair work that it needs to do by fixing important cells and tissues.
A full, solid night’s sleep will help you maintain a healthy weight – I bet you didn’t know that one!

How to get a better night’s sleep

There are things you can do to make sure you are getting enough sleep. Making sure your room is completely dark is a great first step as well as limiting technology use before bed. Take a look at this article – How your lifestyle can impact your sleep, for more ideas.

Life gets busy and if you are anything like me you will likely be doing chores into the night because it’s the only chance you get. But after reading all about the importance of sleep, perhaps we should all make more of an effort to get a few more hours?