Why We Love Sleep (And You Should, Too!)

Sleep might just be one of humanity’s greatest passions. After all, who doesn’t want to sleep in on the weekends? And who in their right mind would turn down the opportunity to nap for a few hours on any afternoon? Sleep has tons of benefits that you can’t get naturally anywhere else. Here are some of the reasons we love sleep - and why you should, too!

It Keeps Us Focused
Lack of sleep makes you tired, and being tired makes concentration more difficult. In children, this can lead to hyperactivity and a lack of attention. In adults, this can cause lack of productivity at work, poor focus when completing tasks, and difficulty concentrating during important moments - like in conversation or even while driving. But with enough sleep, you’ll be refreshed and be able to tackle more problems and wide varieties of work easily.

It Keeps The Brain Healthy
Sleep, measured by the brain’s electrical charges, has a large effect on this important organ. It can promote better short-term memory, boosted learning capabilities, create visible improvement when performing tasks or skills, and even allow better chances of achieving good grades. This isn’t just limited to kids - everyone can benefit from the extra brain power that comes with good sleep.

It Helps Maintain A Healthy Body Weight
Why go on a diet when sleeping can have a similar effect? And if you really must go on a diet, why not speed up those results with more sleep? Research has shown that those who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to be overweight, and those who sleep enough are more likely to lose fat faster. This is linked to the fact that sleeping less can make you feel hungrier during the day. Why does this happen? Metabolism and sleep are both powered by the same part of the brain, so sleepiness causes you to feel hungry.

It Improves Athletic Performance
Getting enough sleep has been scientifically proven to boost your stamina, endurance, strength, and power during exercise, which is why it’s so important that athletes get enough sleep during training and before events. If you’re not happy with your performance while working out or playing sports, then getting a few extra hours of sleep can work wonders.

Sleep can also promote muscle growth, which is great for those who train to build muscle. This is because your cells and tissues heal during sleep, and also due to the fact that growth hormones are released into the body while you snooze. If you’re trying to lose weight, getting enough sleep will prevent the loss of too much muscle mass.

It Promotes Better Sex
Believe it or not, there are medically proven links between sleep and sexual performance. Erectile dysfunction and other similar sexual issues are often caused by not catching enough zzz’s during the night. A lack of sleep also lowers levels of testosterone, which can decrease sexual drive, desire, and libido in both men and women. So, if you want to get freaky, get enough sleep. You can thank us later!

It Makes Moods Better
Too little sleep can make you less happy, cause you to be more irritable, and just generally make for a really bad day ahead. You might experience mood swings, feel severely stressed out, or be unmotivated if you miss out on valuable sleep hours.

In addition, getting enough sleep has also been shown to lessen symptoms of depression and anxiety, and may even improve self-esteem. Of course, sleep in itself cannot cure mental health conditions, but it can make them more manageable, and not getting enough sleep has been proven to contribute to conditions like depression.

It’s Fantastic For Health
There’s almost no end to the list of health conditions that getting enough sleep can help prevent. Here are just a few of the conditions that have been scientifically proven to be less likely to occur in those who have enough sleep:
Diabetes
Heart disease
Stroke
Arthritis
High blood pressure
Headaches and migraines
Skin conditions
Mood disorders
Chronic pain
Premature aging
Flus, colds, and fevers
Cancer

All in all, this means that getting enough sleep can prolong your lifespan - a fact which has also been proven, although researches are unclear as to whether this is caused by a lack of illnesses or because sleep itself helps elongate life.

In Conclusion, Get More Sleep!
Many times, we find ourselves working late into the night, staying up to binge watch another show, or pushing ourselves to stay out late a few times a week. Through all this, it’s important not to overlook the vitalness of getting enough sleep and the wide range of improvements it can bring to your quality of life. Having trouble sleeping at night to begin with? Head over to Sleepedia to find solutions.

Sources:
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20459221,00.html#go-ahead-snooze--1
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-reasons-why-good-sleep-is-important%23modal-close
http://www.businessinsider.com/why-sleep-is-important-2014-12/?IR=T&r=MY