7 Assured Health Benefits of Sleeping

Every adult needs at least 7 hours of sleep a day for healthy functioning of their body. A lack of good-quality sleep can lead to irritability and low productivity, among other things. Besides, sleep deprivation over an extended period can lead to even graver outcomes.

Therefore, getting quality sleep is extremely important as it has several advantages.

Want to know what are the benefits of sleep? If yes, keep reading!

What Are the Health Benefits of Sleeping?

There are many benefits of sleeping early. Some of the health benefits of good sleep include -

Healthier Heart – The blood pressure falls when you sleep, thus helping your blood vessels and heart rest. Extreme sleep deprivation can lead to an increase in blood pressure, causing heart diseases, such as stroke.
Better Immune System – The immune system mainly comprises lymphocytes or immune cells that help fight harmful microbes entering one’s bloodstream. A lack of sleep slows down these immune cells’ functioning, leading to frequent illnesses. A peaceful nightly rest prevents you from being worn-out and spending days in bed to recover from these health conditions.
Sharp Brain – Inadequate sleep may have adverse effects on memory and learning as these constitute crucial benefits of sleep. Running low on rest can make it challenging for you to focus.

Proper sleep enhances your brain’s memorising power and prepares it to grasp new information.

Mood Enhancement – Sleeping helps your brain balance emotions. Lack of proper rest may lead to irritability and frequent emotional outbursts. Individuals having insomnia are more likely to develop anxiety, depression and other panic disorders.
Sports Achievement – Improvement of sports performance is one of the vital benefits of sleeping on time. Sports like weightlifting, wrestling, running and biking require excessive energy. Sleep enhances your motivation, quickens muscle repair and boosts energy, which takes you to the finish line. Conversely, lack of rest will slow you down both physically and mentally and lower your reaction time.
Weight Control – Your appetite increases when you are sleep deprived. Lower sleep messes with your hormones, ghrelin and leptin, that influence appetite. You tend to consume more unhealthy food when these hormones are out of balance. In addition, sleep deprivation makes you lazy. Together, these can contribute to weight gain.

Proper sleep can help you perform better at exercising and maintaining a proper diet, helping you to manage weight.

Steady Blood Sugar – During the latter part of a sleep cycle, the glucose amount in the blood drops. Cutting down on sleep will prevent the glucose level from getting appropriately reset. As a result, it will be harder for your body to respond to blood sugar levels and cells' needs.

Hence, prevention from Type 2 diabetes is one of the benefits of deep sleep

What are the Benefits of Sleeping in Different Ways?

different ways of sleep — (Source: elements)

Other than health benefits, sleeping serves many other purposes. Have a look at the points below -

Benefits of Sleeping on the Floor

The cooler temperature of the floor reduces body heat.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the firm surface of the floor is beneficial for backache.
It helps keep the spine straight and improves posture.

Benefits of Sleeping Without a Pillow

It helps deal with back pain and neck pain.
It enhances oxygen distribution to the head and combats headaches.
It helps to alleviate stress by reducing sleeping disturbances.
It reduces face acne from pillow dirt.

Benefits of Sleeping on the Stomach

It diminishes sleep apnea and snoring.
It relaxes your neck and back.

Frequently Asked Questions

✓ What are the benefits of sleeping on your left side?

Sleeping on your left side alleviates heartburn and acid reflux, boosts digestion, stimulates toxins drainage from lymph nodes, and improves blood circulation.

✓ What are the benefits of sleep for your skin?

Quality sleep helps to make your complexion more radiant, diminishes fine lines and reduces inflammation. It is a free beauty trick that reduces dark circles and improves skin tone.

✓ What is sleep apnea? Can sleeping on the stomach cure it?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder wherein breathing continuously starts and stops. If you are snoring loudly and feel tired after sleeping, you may have sleep apnea. Sleeping on one’s stomach may help prevent this disorder. However, proper treatment is necessary to help prevent heart complications.