4 Reasons 1 Extra Hour of Sleep Can Change Your Day

While you may feel tempted to get up early to workout or stay up late to play video games, it may have a negative impact on your life. Researchers say that getting an extra hour of sleep per night could have a positive impact on your personal and professional relationships. Your physical and mental health might also improve by getting just 60 extra minutes of rest each night.

You’ll Be in a Better Mood

When you’re tired, you tend to get rattled or upset by events that may not be that important. This is because a lack of sleep can impact your mood. It may result in being snippy with your friends, short with your spouse or quiet around your colleagues. While those around you may be able to forgive a poor attitude every so often, they likely won’t tolerate it on a regular basis. Therefore, it is important that you find time to rest even if you don’t know how it will fit into your schedule. 

It Will Be Easier to Stay Focused

Another benefit of sleeping at least seven to eight hours a night is that you’ll be more focused while awake. This will make it easier to come up with new ideas or work or have meaningful conversations with friends or family members. If you are currently a student, getting enough sleep at night can help you do better on tests. 

Missing Out on Sleep Can Have Long-Term Consequences

According to one study, those who slept for less than six hours a night for consecutive nights were more likely to be tired for the rest of the week. A survey in Sweden discovered that failing to dedicate enough time for sleep could result in a reduced life expectancy. In some cases, you may actually need more rest as you get older to avoid an early death. 

A lack of sleep has been linked to weight gain, headaches and other health issues. It can lead to constant fatigue that may linger even after you start sleeping normally again. In some cases, your body will actually force itself to sleep during the day. Microsleeping can occur without even knowing it, and it could occur while driving or performing other tasks that require your undivided attention to be completed safely. 

Aim for a Consistent Sleep Schedule 

While getting extra sleep can be beneficial, it is important to aim for consistency when creating a sleep schedule. Ideally, you will schedule work or personal activities in a manner that allows you to get adequate rest at roughly the same time each day. You should also take note of how often you wake up or if you had trouble falling asleep after waking up. These could be clues that your sleep routine needs to be tweaked.

Although it may be possible to function for a day or two on limited sleep, it’s important to get at least seven hours of rest a night. Doing so can offer both short and long-term benefits that can outweigh the negatives of having less time each day to accomplish tasks.