1. Stronger immune system
Sleep gives your body time to both rest and repair. That is one of the reasons why, when you are unwell, you feel more tired and your body always seems to want more sleep. Sleep supports the proteins and cells of your immune system to detect and destroy any foreign invaders your body might come into contact with, like the common cold. It also helps these cells to remember these invaders, so if you come across the same bugs and germs again, you’re prepared to fight them off. So a good night’s sleep helps to strengthen your body’s immune response, and it’s essential to allow yourself time to rest and recover when you’re not feeling well.
2. Healthier weight
Not getting enough sleep can make it more difficult to control your appetite and might cause you to gain weight. If you are not sleeping properly, your body will need more energy because it’s awake for longer. Some research has even suggested that being sleep-deprived changes the level of hormones that signal hunger and fullness in your body. This can make you more likely to choose unhealthy foods (like those high in sugar), and to overeat, particularly later in the day. So sleep plays a key role in regulating how your body uses food for energy and getting enough sleep could help to control your weight.
3. Focuses the mind
It is no surprise that getting a good night’s sleep can help to keep energy levels up, but plenty of rest can also help to keep your mind from wandering and maintain your attention throughout the day.
Not sleeping properly can mean that both your body and brain don’t function properly the next day. It could impair your attention span, concentration, strategic thinking, risk assessment and reaction times.This is even more important if you have a big decision to make, are driving, or are operating heavy machinery.So getting plenty of sleep can help you to stay sharp and focused all day long.
4. Reduces stress
Countless things can cause you to feel stressed and how you personally deal with stress will be different from someone else. Feeling stressed, for example from work, relationships, financial or health concerns, is often a key factor if you’re struggling to sleep at night.When you’re feeling stressed, your body releases ‘stress hormones’, such as cortisol, which can keep you awake.On the other hand, a good night’s sleep can have the opposite effect and relax the systems in your body that are responsible for this stress response.
5. Healthier heart
A lack of sleep can increase your risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes and coronary heart disease. Waking up too often is thought to stimulate your sympathetic nervous system – the system responsible for your body’s ‘fight-or-flight’ response. The ‘fight-or-flight’ response is how your body physically reacts when it senses danger. Your sympathetic nervous system also activates your cardiovascular system and increases your blood pressure to prepare you for waking up. But if you are being kept awake too often, your body can’t compensate for this rise in blood pressure and your level may remain higher than expected. Having high blood pressure is also a major risk factor for stroke and coronary heart disease.
Not only that, but poor sleep has also been linked to poor insulin regulation and resistance. Insulin is the hormone that controls your blood sugar. If you’re not getting enough sleep, your body’s ability to regulate your blood sugar becomes disrupted and the levels of sugar in your blood can increase, and can cause diabetes. So getting enough sleep is an important factor in looking after your cardiovascular health.