Top 5 Benefits of Getting Enough Sleep

Adequate sleep is a biological necessity for our physical and mental well-being. To function optimally, you need to rest, repair, and recover from daily stress on the mind and body. Hence, getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep daily will enhance your performance, health, and overall well-being. Here are the top 5 benefits of getting enough sleep daily.

1. Better focus

When we do not get enough quality sleep, our cognitive function gets impaired, making it challenging to stay alert and engaged with daily tasks, inevitably affecting productivity. On the other hand, getting enough quality sleep improves brain function and helps with improving concentration and focus. So, if you get enough sleep consistently, you are improving your focus and the ability to handle any task that comes your way during the day.

2. Maintain Weight gain

Inadequate sleep disrupts hormone regulation and results in changes in appetite and metabolism. This disruption may further lead to an increase in cravings for high-calorie foods, overeating, and weight gain in the long term. However, getting regular quality sleep will help regulate the hormones that increase your appetite and cravings and consequently assist in weight maintenance. 

3. Better emotional regulation

Sleep deprivation has the potential to hijack emotional regulation, which may cause heightened emotional reactivity and difficulty coping with stress. This sleep deprivation may lead to not being able to cope with everyday challenges, with you experiencing more intense emotional responses under pressure. A good night's sleep, however, will have a positive effect on your mood and will improve your ability to manage your emotions effectively during challenging moments and times of stress.

4. Improved Performance

According to the law of diminishing return, productivity decreases beyond a certain point in proportion to extended efforts. In other words, the quality and quantity of your results diminish after you extend yourself over some time without a break. To function at optimal levels, you need to rest, repair, and recover from daily stress on the mind and body. When we get a shut-eye for 7-8 hours each day, the body recovers from the daily fatigue encountered during the day and helps us to recharge to function optimally during the coming waking hours. 

5. Healthier body

Sleep plays a crucial role in repairing the body and in boosting the body's immune system. Lack of sleep can weaken immune function and make you more vulnerable to infections, colds, and other diseases. Also, sleep deprivation can affect your skin health and premature aging. However, getting adequate sleep can help slow aging and provide you with a healthier body. While we are asleep, the body is working hard to recharge and repair itself to take care of the damage caused by stress during the working hours of the previous day. Also, while you sleep, the body produces more protein, which helps form the building blocks for cells to repair any damage the body might have experienced. Getting enough sleep will give the body the appropriate repair time needed to do the job.