Top 3 Reasons Why Sleep Is So Important (And How To Get More Of It)
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When I was debating which topic to cover in this week’s blog post, it hit me: It’s about time we talked about sleep!
Sleep is an underrated, incredibly important part of our well-being. It’s the third pillar of a healthy lifestyle (nutrition and exercise being the other two). We spend more than a third of our lives sleeping, and sleep plays a major role in both our physical and mental health. Studies show that 1 in 3 Americans don’t get enough sleep on a regular basis, and it’s my belief that we all struggle with sleeping at some point in our lives. Given how essential sleep is to our health, it’s crucial that we figure out how to get enough of it (seven to nine hours, experts say).
Below are my top three reasons why you need adequate sleep every night, and my best advice on getting more hours of shut-eye.
1. Our bodies recover while we sleep.
Think about what we put our bodies through each day—we’re awake for hours on end, experiencing numerous emotions, exerting energy, and putting our brain to work. Exhausting, right? Thankfully, during our sleeping hours, our body rests and repairs itself. Our heart gets a break and our muscles start to relax and rebuild. And because we’re asleep, our energy consumption is lower, meaning the body can use the energy to heal our bones, restore our muscles, improve our circulation, and regenerate our cells. Sleep is important for everyone, but especially those who exercise regularly—getting enough Zzz’s also speeds up our recovery time and reduces our risk of injury.
2. Sleep helps regulate our hormones, which essentially affect everything we do.
Hormones control everything from our mood to our hunger cues, energy levels, and weight—and sleep helps keep our hormone levels balanced. Sleep helps control our appetite by regulating our levels of ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and leptin (a hormone that tells your brain that you’re full). To put it simply, when we lose sleep, our ghrelin and leptin levels can be thrown out of balance, leading us to eat more than we need, which eventually causes weight gain. Sleep also aids in our stress levels by keeping our cortisol levels in check. Not sleeping enough can result in sleepiness upon waking up (as opposed to alertness) and increased stress levels throughout the day.
3. Sleeping keeps our bodies regulated and in sync.
Our circadian rhythm—our internal body clock—regulates our sleepiness and wakefulness throughout the day, meaning it dictates our natural sleeping patterns. When we’re chronically sleep deprived, our body tries to make us go to sleep, which, during waking hours, leads to impaired brain functioning with regards to attention, cognitive speed, and memory. In other words, we cannot function correctly without sleep. Sleep deprivation essentially weakens every aspect of our body, including our immune system, metabolism, mental health, and more.
How to sleep better once and for all
Believe it or not, an estimated 50 to 70 million Americans struggle with sleep. A whopping 30 percent of adults experience insomnia at some point, and 10 percent of adults have chronic insomnia. If you too have a hard time sleeping, you owe it to yourself (and your body!) to find a solution. Here are my go-to tricks for better sleep.
Go to bed at the same time every night -- There’s a reason why we do this for children! Having a regular bedtime helps our body know when it’s time to sleep and helps us develop a regular sleep pattern.
Turn off electronics and lights -- Easier said than done, but looking at your phone before bed is one of the worst things you can do to wind down (read more about the dangers of blue light here). Turn off all of your lights, put your electronics away, and pull on a sleep mask so you aren’t disturbed by any light.
Find a nighttime ritual or routine -- There are numerous studies about the benefits of winding down before bed; it calms you down and signals to your body that it’s bedtime. Try doing a short sleep meditation, reading a good book, stretching, journaling, or deep breathing.
Take a melatonin supplement -- Melatonin is a hormone that exists naturally in our body, but can also be taken in a capsule or gummy form, like a vitamin. Usually the body produces more melatonin at night, but some folks need an extra dose of melatonin to sleep soundly.
Sip chamomile tea -- Chamomile is known for being a calming decaffeinated tea that works wonders for people with sleep troubles. Drink a cup as you’re settling down for bed—this can count as your nightly ritual!
For more tips on how to sleep better, improve your overall health, and live your best life, – join our private community, the Pure Joy Squad here! By joining our community, you’ll gain access to advice from industry experts, exclusive content, and a group of women who can’t wait to support you!
xo,
Renata