Why Getting Quality Sleep is Important for Health and How to Get more Sleep
In this fast-paced world, we are too busy that we don’t have time for getting the proper sleep which in turn is quietly eating our mental health without letting us know about it. For the sake of ticking our to-do lists and performing our regular important work, we have become night owls and stuck in the loop of completing the work till night while compromising with our sleep, which is the important component of well-being of overall physical and mental health. Due to compromising with the sleep, the productivity significantly declines, and the person loses focus leading to the output with less efficiency. So getting a quality sleep is equally important as taking the food regularly. In this article we are going to know why quality sleep is important and how to get a good sleep cycle.
Why is Sleep Important?
Sleep is an essential biological process that enables the entire human body to rejuvenate. It allows our body and mind to recharge and repair. After awakening, our brain function, and physical health, all are driven by the quality sleep. That’s why not getting enough sleep will let you experience weakening fatigue, impaired decision-making and other long term health problems.
Occasionally, I think you might have felt a little bit disposed or unwell next day whenever you have ever woken up at night due to your important work or for other purposes. This is because when you become devoid of adequate sleep, it eventually impacts your mental health. Moreover, disrupted sleep interferes with memory cumulation, impacts neurotransmitter balance and increase emotional reactivity which then lead to decreased attention, slower thinking and heightened risk of anxiety and depression.
How does Sleep Affect Mental Health?
Poor sleep profoundly disrupts mental health. One night sleep deprivation causes hormonal disbalance which affects your mood next day. The hormonal imbalance makes you easily stressed and emotional, impacting your decision-making ability. Moreover, frequent sleep deprivation is associated with depression and anxiety because sleep regulates the balance of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin .Mental health and sleep go hand in hand and affects each other.
If you are not able to retain information quickly, not taking adequate sleep might be the cause. Since poor sleep slow down your brain it becomes difficult to learn something. Therefore, in order to be mentally sharp, adequate sleep should be given to your body.
How does Sleep Affects Physical Health?
Just like your mental health, a good sleep impacts your physical health as well. A poor sleep can substantially damage your physical health. Inadequate sleep has following physical impacts:
• Brain Function: A good sleep is important for your optimal brain function as it strengthens the neural connections which then enhances the problem solving skills. Moreover a good sleep helps in detoxification of beta-amyloid which is linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
• Immune System: During sleep our body releases White Blood Cells and Cytokines(Protein), which activate immune cells and regulate immunity response. These immune cells strengthen our immune system.
• Heart Health: A good sleep naturally stabilize your heart rate and blood pressure, promoting cardiovascular health. Deep sleep activate parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for this stabilization. This stabilization reduce the risk of hypertension and heart disease.
• Growth Hormones: The body releases growth hormones which are essential for cell growth and repair, bone development, metabolism regulation and better immune function.
• Obesity: A poor sleep leads to the risk of obesity and type 2-diabetes by hormonal disbalance.
Benefits of Having the Quality Sleep
Improved mood: Sleep restores the body after waking up well-rested, that’s why it can change your mood. However, inadequate sleep causes irritability and mental distress because it hinders the brain’s ability to regulate emotions. This sleep deprivation then lays the foundation for depression and anxiety due to the more release of cortisol.
Enhanced Mental State: A poor sleep often ruins the mental state. It affects our thinking ability by slowing down our mind. Therefore, in order to be creative and perform well in our work requiring brain’s quick response, a deep sleep is required.
Heart health: Increased blood pressure increases the risk of cardiovascular events like heart attack and attack failure. That’s why a quality sleep is required to stabilize the heart rate, blood pressure and give your body organs the time to rest.
Blood Sugar: Lack of sleep reduces insulin sensitivity, raising blood sugar levels and increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Quality sleep supports glucose metabolism and hormonal balance, ensuring proper insulin function.
Stress Relief: Sufficient sleep every night also helps in coping with stress. Chronic stress activates the body’s fight-or-flight response, raising cortisol levels and making it difficult to relax. Better sleep help reduce anxiety, depression and other mental-health stresses.
How Much Sleep is Important
Getting 7–9 hours of quality sleep is essential for physical and mental health. However, the amount of sleep needed varies by age:
- Newborns (0-3 months): 14–17 hours
- Teens (14-17 years): 8–10 hours
- Adults (18-64 years): 7–9 hours
- Older adults (65+ years): 7–8 hours
How to Get a Good Sleep
Consistently following good sleep habits ensures long-term health benefits. Following these tips can improve sleep quality and overall well-being.
- Maintain a consistent sleep schedule
- avoid screens before bedtime
- reduce caffeine intake
- create a relaxing bedtime routine
- Regular exercise and stress management techniques
- Take short naps (20-30 minutes)