We all know that eating well and exercising regularly is key to staying healthy. However, did you also know that sleep is just as vital for your health?
According to World Sleep Day, adults need an average of between 7 and 8 hours of sleep per night for optimum health. Read on to find out why getting enough is vital for your health.
Why Is Sleep So Important?
Sleep is crucial for health. It allows our bodies to restore, repair and regenerate. If we’re trying to make healthier choices in other areas of our lives – such as exercising more frequently and making better food choices, then sleep can help with this too.
Lack of sleep can affect our hormones, which are responsible for our appetite, i.e. telling us when we’re hungry and when we’re satisfied. That means if we’re consistently getting less than we should, we’re going to find it difficult to avoid overeating when we’re awake.
It’s also more difficult for our bodies to recover from exercise if we don’t get enough sleep and sleeping more can even improve our fitness and athletic performance. Even for the non-athletes among us, there are plenty of good reasons for us to prioritise sleep.
Roshni Patel, BSC (Hons) MCOptom, an expert optometrist from Lenstore said:
“As tempting as it might be to stay up late and binge on your favourite shows, it’s important to give your body the proper rest it needs. Doctors recommend adults should get a minimum of 7 hours sleep each night. Prolonged lack of sleep can lead to a host of health-related problems such as depression, high blood pressure, and impairment in immunity. It can also seriously affect your eyes with eye spasms, light sensitivity, and blurred vision. To ensure you get enough rest each night, make sure your sleeping environment works for what your needs are. Typically, the darker the room is, the better. It’s recommended for adults to keep the temperature between 18-20 degrees and avoid screen time right before bed as blue light stimulates the brain in the same way the sun does, making it harder to fall asleep.
A condition that seriously affects the quality of your sleep is sleep apnea. This is where your breathing starts and stops while you are sleeping. When you stop breathing during sleep, this causes a lack of oxygen flow to your brain, which can lead to high blood pressure, heart problems, decreased liver function, changes in your vision, and is a risk factor for glaucoma. If you suspect you or your partner have this condition it’s important to speak to a medical professional as it is a serious medical condition.”
What Are the Benefits of a Good Night’s Sleep?
There are multiple benefits to ensuring you get an adequate amount of rest each night. These include:
- An improved immune system
- Lower inflammation in your body
- Lower risk of depression
- Lower risk of heart disease
- Lower risk of type 2 diabetes
- Lower risk of accidents
- Improved concentration
- Improved mood
- Improved social relationships
In Summary
Sleep is equally as important to our overall health and wellbeing as regular exercise and a healthy, balanced diet. If we want to prioritise and maintain our health, then we should be ensuring that we get adequate amounts of quality rest on a regular basis.
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