Sleep is essential for life. It’s as simple as that.

But our go-go-go lifestyles and the temptations of technology often keep us from surrendering to sleep even when our bodies and brains beg for it. This imbalance of sleep and wakefulness has a price to pay, both short and long-term, and the consequences are evident in the current global epidemic of sleep deficiency.

When you don’t get enough sleep for even one night, you wake up groggy, craving coffee and likely have trouble focusing throughout the day. But when you multiply this night after night, year after year, the toll is cumulative, increasing your risks for cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, depression, infections, obesity, early onset dementia, and even early death.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. While we should acknowledge the risks of insufficient sleep and use them as a catalyst to improve our sleep, let’s focus on the long-term benefits of good sleep which are much more encouraging.  

While we can’t change the sleep of our past, we can recognize that the long-term benefits of sleep begin for each of us TODAY. The sleep you get tonight and over time will serve as an integral indicator of your overall health, physical and mental.

Before providing the benefits of good sleep, let’s define what constitutes good sleep. Scientists and sleep medical/clinical experts recommend 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Recognizing that sleep quality is also critical in addition to sleep quantity, it is important to address whether you have a sleep disorder and/or poor sleep habits. If you suspect you may have a sleep disorder, be sure to see your physician or a sleep specialist.

Here are some of the benefits of good sleep that impact your health and well-being, both short and long term:

  • Good sleep improves your immune system function, a benefit particularly relevant and critical today. Sufficient sleep offers protection from infections with a more functional immune system and heightened efficiency and you are even less likely to get the common cold.
  • During sleep, our brain has a cleaning system, the glymphatic system, which enables our brains to eliminate toxins. When we chronically get insufficient sleep, our brain becomes like a dirty kitchen, increasing our risk for early onset dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Sleep helps to “maintain many of our vital functions. One of the most important of these functions may be to provide cells and tissues with the opportunity to recover from the wear and tear of daily life. Major restorative functions in the body such as tissue repair, muscle growth, and protein synthesis occur almost exclusively during sleep.”
  • Sleep is integrally woven into our appetites. In fact, insufficient sleep can lead to weight gain. Sleep duration is related to the hormones that regulate hunger. People who get sufficient sleep tend to eat fewer calories. Furthermore, when you are tired, you are less likely to get adequate exercise thereby risking weight gain.

And for your waking hours, sufficient sleep has these benefits:

  • Getting a good night’s sleep enhances our ability to absorb new information we acquire when we are awake and during sleep, we then consolidate what we learn into our memory.
  • When you get good sleep, you are more productive at work and your ability to learn, problem solve, and make decisions are supported.
  • Sleep is integrally woven into our appetites. In fact, insufficient sleep can lead to weight gain. People who get sufficient sleep tend to eat fewer calories and maintain a healthy weight.
  • Good sleep supports your social skills and healthy interaction with family, friends, and colleagues. In fact, one study found that people who get insufficient sleep have trouble recognizing facial expressions of anger or happiness in others.

How you sleep directly impacts your health, both mental and physical, as well as how well you function during your waking hours. You will spend about one third of your life sleeping which will directly impact the quality of your life for the other two thirds when you want to be at your best. The benefits of good sleep merit ensuring that you get the best sleep possible, tonight and every night to come.

Important Note: There are many sleep disorders that require a medical diagnosis and treatment, so if you are at all concerned, please seek advice from a medical professional.

THE SLEEP BETTER NATURALLY SERIES is sponsored by Rhinomed, a medical technology company dedicated to improving sleep through better breathing. Rhinomed is the maker of Mute, to aid snoring, enhance nasal breathing, and help you fall asleep and stay asleep naturally.

References

http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/benefits-of-sleep/why-do-we-sleep

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need

https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/sleep-and-mental-health

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6473877/

http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/consequences

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-disorders

https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2013/04/benefits-slumber

https://www.tedmed.com/talks/show?id=293015

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/sleep-and-weight-gain/faq-20058198

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20337191

Author(s)

  • Nancy H. Rothstein, MBA

    As The Sleep Ambassador®, sleep expert Nancy H. Rothstein is on a quest to help people live life fully 24/7. Nancy helps people rise in the MORNING and rise in the MOURNING.

    As The Sleep Ambassador® Nancy inspires a new respect for sleep and its impact on all aspects of work, life and well-being.  Through consulting, public speaking, media engagements, and other venues, she presents strategic solutions selected to empower people to make lasting shifts to optimize their sleep quality and quantity, both for the public and for the corporate world. Nancy consults and lectures to Fortune 500 corporations and other organizations, awakening leadership to the ROI of a good night’s sleep for their workforce and providing sleep education/training initiatives for employees at all levels.   Nancy's LinkedIn Learning Course, Sleep Is Your Superpower, has engaged over 300,000 seeking to improve their sleep. Nancy is the author of My Daddy Snores; published by Scholastic, which has sold over 400,000 copies. Nancy serves or served on the NIH Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board, the Steering Committee of Myapnea.org, the Board of the Foundation for Airway Health, the Advisory Board of the Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, the American Sleep Apnea Association, and working with other organizations that foster sleep health.   Not only does Nancy help people rise in the morning, she also helps people rise in the mourning, inspiring  people to embrace life with gratitude and joy amidst its many challenges. With grace and authenticity, Nancy's forthcoming book, "Rising in the Mourning: Ways to Celebrate Life," offers insights and guidance based on her personal experience with the passing of...and reconnection with...her son. Excerpts appear on Thrive Global.     Nancy has a B.A. from The University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.