The quantity and quality of your sleep have significant short-term and long-term effects on your health. When you think about sleep, what instantly comes to mind is the quantity of it.
The standard recommended sleep duration for adults is eight hours or so. Most of us are getting much less for various reasons. There are those with tonnes of work to do and end up working into the night. Then there are others who stay up late in the name of entertainment. They watch TV and play video games into the wee hours of the morning.
Whatever the reason, sleep deprivation will cost you in the long run. In this article, we expound on how sleep affects your physical and emotional health.
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How Sleep Affects Your Health
Now that we’ve touched on the quantity of sleep, let’s look at its quality, which is just as important. You may be in bed for eight hours, but are you really resting? Are you delaying your slumber by browsing on your phone? Do you find yourself waking up every couple of hours for a snack? Or do you toss and turn for hours without getting any significant rest? When the quality of your sleep is compromised, your health will suffer as a result.
Short-Term Effects of Inadequate Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep has the immediate benefit of a refreshed body and mind. It is not unusual to go to bed with an aching body and wake up pain-free. While you sleep, the body repairs damaged tissues and builds muscles.
Your mind, too, is rejuvenated as you doze. Coupled with the right supplements, such as those from PureHealth Research, you wake up with a relaxed mind and start your day with clarity.
If you don’t get adequate sleep, even for one night, you’ll spend the following day feeling fatigued, drowsy, and moody. If this continues day after day, your productivity suffers. Over time, the strain exerted on your body by insufficient rest can cause or worsen long-term health conditions.
Effect of Sleep on Preexisting Conditions
Getting enough sleep lowers blood pressure, improves heart health, and reduces stress, among other benefits. If you’re already suffering from a chronic health condition, getting sufficient shuteye will make the ailment easier to manage and slow its progression.
Sometimes, the pain or discomfort from such conditions keeps you from sleeping. The lack of sleep, in turn, makes the situation even worse, and it’s a downward spiral from there.
Consider taking supplements which help you sleep. Avoid the kind of sleeping pills that cause dependence, such that you can never go to bed without them. Go for natural health products such as those from PureHealth Research, where you’re assured of no side effects. Sleeping even for a couple of hours brings some relief and may make any health condition bearable.
Sleep and Mental Stress
Stress is at an all-time high in today’s society. Prolonged stress results in further health issues such as headaches, shortness of breath, high blood pressure and even depression. Most importantly, in this case, emotional distress deprives you of rest.
If you’re dealing with anxiety, getting sufficient sleep should be a priority. Here are some methods you can explore to induce sleep:
- Playing background music
- Reading
- Meditating
- Exercise
- Reducing light exposure by dimming the lights or wearing an eye mask
- Eliminating distractions
Go for products that contain sleep-inducing hormones such as melatonin which relaxes the muscles and makes it easier to doze off. While at it, don’t just pick any over-the-counter product. There are legitimate science-backed formulas such as those produced by PureHealth Research whose every ingredient has been tested and declared safe for consumption. Remember to check on the quality of your mattress as well. Ensure that it’s firm and even to give your limbs adequate support.
Sleep, in its proper quantity and quality, has the immediate benefit of calming the senses and easing stress. With a clear mind, you can focus on any problem with the aim of finding a solution.
Oversleeping: What It Says About Your Health
We so often focus on the effects of inadequate sleep and hardly pay attention to the other side of the coin: oversleeping. Can oversleeping make you sick? Hardly. The notion here is that sleeping too much could be a symptom of an underlying issue. You’re not having quality sleep, so your body compensates for it by not wanting to get out of bed.
If, after your eight-hour sleep, you still feel weary and exhausted, you could be dealing with a different health condition altogether. Such ailments rob you of your energy and leave you snoozing for far too long. They include obesity, heart disease, diabetes, depression, and sleep apnea.
Oversleeping robs you of physical activity which is essential in keeping the blood circulating. If you can barely open your eyes even after sleeping for eight hours, it’s time to drag yourself from under the covers and see a doctor.
Sleep Your Way to Good Health
Do you look forward to bedtime? Given the benefits of good sleep for your health, you definitely should. Plan for rest the same way you plan for every other activity in your day.
Try to knock off at around the same time every night. Remember, sleep follows the circadian rhythm, the natural cycle the body goes through in a 24-hour period. This rhythm affects your sleeping and waking cycle and, if disrupted, takes time to get back to equilibrium.
Establish a routine so that you go to bed and wake up at a set time every day. Within no time, your body will sync up. When it’s time to sleep, you’ll naturally get drowsy and ultimately get up at the appropriate time, even without setting the alarm.
Of all the things you do to keep your health in top shape, from eating clean to exercising, do not forget to get a good night’s sleep. Eliminate distractions and enjoy an uninterrupted eight hours of shuteye every night; your body will thank you for it.
