Sleep deprivation or trying to function on just a few hours of sleep is a bad habit to get into, and has some serious side effects on our health and well-being. While sometimes we may not even know we lack restful sleep, but a few telltale signs include being forgetful, lethargic, and the inability to function without cups of coffee – further proliferating the cycle of poor sleep habits. We know it’s hard to kick the habit, but we’ve found that a little motivation goes a long way. Here are 10 positive effects of getting enough sleep – more than enough to get you excited to rest your body and mind in slumber.
Do It All
When you are properly rested, it’s easy to feel energized, like you can do and conquer just about anything! When you lack sleep, it’s easy to prefer sticking to easy tasks that require little to no effort because these don’t require even half the focus and brainpower that more challenging tasks do. But with enough sleep, you have even more than enough energy to get through the day, accomplish your goals, and do more!
A Clear Head
You’ve probably noticed that when you’re forced to function on a lack of sleep, you miss a whole lot of brainpower. It’s harder to think straight, focus, and formulate clear thoughts. This is because sleep deprivation has been proven to affect attention, vigilance, decision-making abilities, and both working and long-term memory. The only solution? Not cups of coffee and energy boosters – but regularly getting restful sleep.
Remember Better, and More
Pulling an all-nighter to study, or get more things done is a common solution for many people. It’s easy to think that if you don’t ‘waste’ hours sleeping, you can accomplish more. But in reality, sleep deprivation diminishes the function of neurons, as well as memory consolidation. This is why it’s harder to process and digest information when you’re running low on sleep – it takes much longer for things to make sense. Getting enough sleep greatly improves learning and retention of new information.
Good Mood
Lack of sleep makes people cranky and that’s a fact. Being sleep-deprived affects emotional regulation, prompting you to feel both tired and stressed. On the contrary, resting well at night enhances well-being, lowering irritability and stress. Research has even suggested that chronic insomnia leads to development of mood disorders such as depression or anxiety.
Lower Risk of Chronic Diseases
Resting well and getting enough sleep reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases, or lessen the impact of an ongoing ailment. A hormone called cytokine is produced during sleep that helps your body fight off sickness-causing germs and infections; by getting enough rest, this hormone can work better to help your body heal faster and restore normal healthy function.
Drive Safely
Drowsy driving causes a whole lot of crashes and emergencies on the road; driving when you are tired and sleepy is basically the same as drunk or impaired driving. It doesn’t matter if you’re on a road trip, or you’re just going about your regular drive – without enough sleep you are a hazard on the road. By getting enough sleep, you are mentally prepared to focus on the road, make correct and timely decisions, and have an adequate reaction time.
Beautiful Skin
This probably isn’t news to you anymore, and it’s for good reason. Lack of sleep over time contributes to faster aging, diminished skin function, and your own lower overall satisfaction with your physical appearance. Getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep on a regular basis reduces the appearance of the visible signs of aging, which boosts your self-esteem and confidence in your appearance.
Goodbye Eyebags and Dark Circles
Many people make a joke out of their eye bags and call them names, but it’s no joking matter. Over time, sleep deprivation manifests in a person’s face, and include hanging eyelids, red eyes, paler skin, appearance of dark circles under the eyes, and more fine lines and wrinkles. The best solution? Getting enough sleep, and let the muscles in your face – including those around your eyes – relax and be relieved from the stress that follows you around during the day.
Be Less Sensitive
Resting well and getting enough sleep has been linked to lower pain sensitivity, and increased daytime awareness. By regularly getting the sleep and rest your body needs, you can push yourself more, tolerate more pain or discomfort, and remain far more alert to what happens in your surroundings.
Keep Off the Pounds
Resting and getting enough sleep at night helps keep the pesky pounds off, allowing for better weight control. When you keep staying up late at night, you become more prone to hunger pangs, feeling the need to snack, sometimes excessively, just to stay awake. Plus, the hours you spend staying up is valuable time your body loses in resting, restoring healthy functions, and metabolizing calories you consumed during the day.