4 Reasons Why Sleep is Important03:48

There are several habits that are important to a person’s overall health such as eating healthy, working out, and annual physical exams. Unfortunately, too many people seem to forget about the importance of sleep and the impact it has on the body.

Below we are going to go over all of the reasons why sleep is important and provide some practical techniques for how to improve your sleep. Better sleep leads to positive changes in your overall health, both physical health and emotional health.

Why is Sleep so Important to Overall Health

You may notice that when you are not getting enough sleep, you feel worse both physically and mentally, but why is that? There are several different reasons why sleep effects our overall health so much.

Today, we are going to go over four of the most significant reasons as explained by Luke Coutinho, an expert in Integrative Lifestyle Medicine and Life Coaching. Once you understand why sleep is important, you may find it easier to put a good night of sleep as a priority.

1) Brain Cells Only Work with Enough Rest

Your brain is full of millions of different kinds of cells that all have unique, highly important functions. The various cells deal with things like pain, hunger, emotions, and basic human function. They are probably some of the most important cells in your body. However, brain cells are only able to function properly when you provide them with enough quality rest.

When you do not get enough sleep, you may notice that you are more emotional, struggle to concentrate or have various other problematic symptoms, all because the cells in your brain are not functioning well. These symptoms and others may not be a huge problem if you only have one bad night, but over time, the lack of sleep starts to build up, and the problems grow.

2) Less Sleep, More Cravings

There are a couple of reasons that we experience regular cravings. First, lots of cravings could be a sign of poor gut health. Bad bacteria can start to build up in your gut over time, and bad bacteria need sugar to survive. Therefore, if you are craving things with high sugar content, it could be a sign that there is a problem in your gut.

On the other hand, you may be experiencing regular cravings because you are not sleeping enough. When we do not get proper rest, there are two hormone malfunctions that lead to cravings. The first hormone is called leptin.

Leptin is a satiety hormone that is responsible for telling us when we need to stop eating/when we are not hungry. When you are not getting enough sleep, leptin is suppressed, meaning that there is not enough of it active in the brain to accurately tell us when we are full. If we cannot tell when we are full or not hungry, we naturally eat more.

The other craving-based hormone that is affected by sleep is called ghrelin. Ghrelin is the hunger hormone, meaning it is the hormone that tells us when we are hungry. When we do not get enough sleep, ghrelin is overly active. When ghrelin is overly active, you will still feel hungry even after you eat. Overactive ghrelin combined with underactive leptin really makes the perfect condition for lots of cravings and binge eating to occur.

3) Impact of Sleep on the Immune System

When we are asleep, the immune system actually becomes more active and goes through a cleaning process. The cleaning process is when the immune system will target any harmful bacteria or viruses that may have entered your body during the day. Without the cleaning process, harmful substances (bacteria, viruses, etc.) are better able to survive, and therefore, you are more likely to get sick.

4) Sleep Detoxification

The final reason that sleep is so important is a process called sleep detoxification. Detoxification is the process where your body gets rid of bad chemicals and substances that may have built up in your body throughout the day. While your body does some detoxing while you are awake, the majority of it happens at night. We know this happens because of a few different things that we all experience.

It is why you may have dirt in the corner of your eyes when you wake up. It is why your breath does not smell good in the morning. And finally, it is why you often have to go to the bathroom right after you wake up. If you do not sleep, this complete level of detox will not occur, so different substances may start to build up and cause problems.

The Impact of Sleep Deprivation

So it is clear that sleep is important, but what exactly happens when we do not get enough of it? Well, there are a variety of different problems that occur related to both your physical health and emotional health. Let’s start with physical health.

When you consistently do not get enough sleep, you are at a higher risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, weight gain, and a variety of other sicknesses. Furthermore, if you do get any of those conditions, your body will be less prepared/less able to cope with them. On the other hand, when it comes to emotional problems, you are more likely to experience mood swings and have memory problems. You may also struggle to concentrate and problem-solve.

Tips to Improve Your Sleep

Since it is clear that sleep is so important for your overall physical and emotional health, what can you do to get better sleep? Well, there are a variety of different tips and strategies that you can use to help improve your sleep. In this article, we are going to talk about six of the best tips and tricks, but it is up to you how many you want or need to use.

Breathing Techniques

A key part of being able to fall asleep and have a restful night is being able to relax. There are a wide variety of breathing techniques created by different experts, but today we are going to focus on two techniques that have been proven successful.

The first is left nostril breathing. Left nostril breathing is something that you should do every night before you go to bed. You will sit at the end of your bed and use your thumb to close your right nostril, forcing you to breathe out your left. You will then take 15 to 20 deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling through your left nostril, before going to bed. Over time, you should notice a significant difference in your sleep.

The second, more common technique is called deep breathing. Deep breathing is when you inhale for at least four seconds, though you can inhale for longer if you want. No matter how long you inhale, you want to exhale for at least two seconds longer. The reason for this is that when you exhale slowly, you switch over from the sympathetic nervous system that is responsible for flight or fight over to the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for calming down and relaxing. You want to be using the parasympathetic nervous system when you are trying to sleep.

Good Mattress or Mattress Topper

To get a good night’s rest, you need a quality mattress. There are two main qualities you should look for in a good mattress: comfort and support. Comfort because if you are uncomfortable, you are naturally going to struggle to sleep. Support, so that you do not deal with lower back pain or any other kinds of pain (neck, shoulder, hip, etc.) while you are asleep.

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There are so many different kinds of mattresses out there, so it is worth trying a few out before you make a decision. Many experts recommend a firm memory foam because it is extremely comfortable while still offering great support. If you are not in the place where you can buy a new mattress, you could also consider buying a mattress topper to offer similar results at a lower price range.

You may also want to consider getting an adjustable bed frame. Depending on your problem area (low back, neck, shoulder, etc.), you can move your actual mattress to a position that offers more support. It may take time to figure out what levels are best for you, but once you do figure it out, it will make a huge difference.

The Right Pillow

Just like you need to have the right kind of mattress, you also need to have a comfortable, supportive pillow or pillows. Good pillows are really key in supporting your neck, and they can also be used to support other areas such as your shoulder or lower back.

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Overall, firmer pillows are usually better as they offer more support. Furthermore, if you have really thin pillows, you may need to stack them up. If you do have an adjustable bed frame, the height of your pillow may be less important.

Comfortable Sheets

Comfortable sheets will not affect your physical health in the same way that having a good, supportive mattress and pillow will, but it is still important. If your sheets are scratching you through the night, you simply will not be comfortable and therefore, may find that you are unable to sleep well.

The good news is that sheets do not have to be an expensive fix. There are great, expensive options out there, but you can also find soft, comfortable sheets at very budget-friendly price levels.

Block Blue Light

Your phone and gadgets produce what is known as blue light, which makes falling asleep difficult. There are a couple of solutions to this problem. First, some phones and devices have what is called night mode, where the blue light turns off and switches to more yellow light. Switching over to this mode several hours before you go to bed could make a big difference.

Second, if your phone does not have an option to turn off the blue light, you could get blue light glasses that will also block the blue light. Not only will this help you sleep better, but it will also protect your eyes if you have to spend long periods of time looking at a screen.

Finally, whether you can block the blue light or not, turning off your gadgets completely 30 minutes to an hour before you go to bed will make falling asleep much easier.

How do Sleep Trackers Work? Are They Accurate?

Sleep Trackers

Using a sleep tracker, like the Fitbit Charge, is a great idea that can be combined with any of the above tips to see if they are actually improving your sleep. The Fitbit Charge tracks how long you sleep. How many times you wake up, and how much time you spend in light vs. deep sleep. This information will help you figure out what helps you sleep better and what hinders your sleep so that you can make informed choices in the future and get the best sleep possible.

Fitbit Charge 4 Special Edition (Sleep Tracker)

Important Sleep Recommendations

Here is a guide to how much sleep people need by age. You can use this chart and compare it to your sleep tracker to figure out if you are getting enough sleep at night.

• 0-3 months: 14 to 17 hours

• 4-12 months: 12 to 16 hours

• 1-2 years: 11 to 14 hours

• 3-5 years: 10 to 13 hours

• 6-12 years: 9 to 12 hours

• 13-18 years: 8 to 10 hours

• 18-60 years: 7+ hours

• 61-64 years: 7-9 hours

• 65+ years: 7-8 hours

Conclusion

When you get a good night’s sleep, you will be surprised by how much better you end up feeling, physically and emotionally. Because it is such an important part of your health, it is important that you put some intent into ensuring that you are getting enough sleep.

With intention and the help of a little bit of technology, you can start making fully informed decisions about your sleep and really impact your health in a positive way.