In our modern world, sleep is often the first thing we sacrifice for a whole host of other activities. We’ll give sleep up for a late night out, another episode of our favorite TV series, another chapter of an interesting book, getting extra work done, spending time with friends and family.
In making this sacrifice, we forget that sleep is actually one of the most important factors contributing to both our happiness and our tranquility.
Let’s look at some of the benefits of sleep.
1. Sleep Puts You in a Better Mood
When we are sleep deprived, we tend to be more grumpy and much less of a joy to be around. Even one night of poor sleep can make our tempers shorter and lead to a sour mood.
That’s why getting enough sleep and waking up refreshed can provide our days a more pleasant start, allowing us to get up on the right foot, so to speak.
2. Sleep Helps You Maintain Your Relationships
Constantly being on edge and in a bad mood will naturally have a negative effect on all of your relationships as well, be they with friends, family, or a significant other.
Lack of sleep can lead to arguments and conflicts that could easily have been avoided if we weren’t so sleep-deprived. So, to help you cultivate happy relationships, don’t go to bed angry and go to bed on time.
3. Sleep Reduces Stress Levels
Some stress can actually be good for us, as it helps us grow and become better versions of ourselves. However, constant stress can harm both our physical and mental health.
While we sleep, our body repairs the damage we have done to it during the day and helps us recover. The hormone that causes stress, cortisol, may keep us awake, but when we do manage to fall asleep, it will automatically leave our system, as melatonin (the sleep hormone) counteracts it.
You may also find that you seemingly overnight come up with a solution to a problem that has been troubling you. This is because your brain has the time to rewire your memories and conclusions so you can access them better in the morning.
4. Sleep Improves Your Mental Health
Those suffering from any mental health issues know how important sleep is for feeling better. All the negative effects of a lack of sleep can quickly worsen an issue such as depression or anxiety. In fact, stress, hunger, illness, and lack of sleep are the four things that can make any mental health challenge worse at top speed.
To get a truly reviving, comfortable night’s rest, sleep on the best cooling mattress you can find. It will ensure you sleep peacefully through the entire night and wake up well-rested physically, as well as mentally.
5. Sleep Keeps You at a Healthy Weight
When you skimp on sleep, you’re much more likely to eat more than you reasonably need to eat. This can impact not only your weight but also the way you feel about yourself.
On the other hand, there is evidence to show that sleep also regulates the hormones that control our pangs of hunger, so getting more sleep can help you lose weight.
6. Sleep Improves Your Cognitive Abilities
Regular quality sleep also helps you make memories, learn new things, and improve all of your cognitive abilities. This, in turn, can help you lead a more fulfilled and meaningful life, making you a happier person.
When we are sleep-deprived, we can’t retain as much information, nor can we recall the information we already possess as easily. This often feels frustrating and can leave us in a bad mood. On the other hand, being able to tackle all kinds of challenges more easily can boost our levels of satisfaction.
Final Thoughts
Sleep plays an important role in practically every aspect of our lives. It helps us stay healthy, both physically and mentally, and it impacts the way we think and the way we feel. Not getting enough of it for prolonged periods of time can lead to heightened feelings of stress and anxiety, sapping a lot of happiness out of our lives.
The solution is so simple: sleep more, without fearing that it’s a waste of time. Because sleep will immensely improve your waking hours.
This is a collaborative post supporting our Peace In Peace Out initiative.
