Sleep is often the first thing sacrificed when life becomes busy or when we become overwhelmed. However, getting a good night’s sleep isn’t just a nice thing; it is a vital part of our health and well-being.
If you think you don’t have time to sleep, you could be forfeiting the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Without realising the impact, it can have on your health and productivity. Or you could have the time to rest but struggle to get good quality sleep. Looking at your pillow and bedding is a good idea in this situation. Many people struggle to sleep due to overheating caused by bedding and pillows; using a Hybrid Bamboo Pillow that stays fresh at night will prevent you from overheating. Helping you achieve a restful night’s sleep.
This blog will look at the importance of getting a good night’s sleep.
Sleep is Good for Your Health
Getting regular high-quality rest helps not just your mind but also your body to rest too. Sleep allows your immune system’s cells and proteins to rest, so they stay strong and ready to fight off things like colds, flu and infections.
Poor sleep is also linked to heart problems like high blood pressure and heart attacks. When we are short of sleep, the stress hormone cortisol in your body rises, making your heart work harder than it should, meaning your heart doesn’t get the time it needs to rest.
Sleeping Increases Productivity
Burning the candle at both ends may seem a good idea. However, it could adversely affect productivity and make tasks take longer to complete. Sleep is linked to concentration levels and higher cognitive functions. A lack of sleep can make tasks harder to complete, as staying focused is more challenging, and memory recall isn’t as sharp as it could be. A lack of sleep also makes grabbing a coffee more likely, which can affect sleep, leading to another poor night’s sleep!
Sleep Boosts Your Mood
Getting a good night’s sleep can leave you feeling energised, full of optimism and in a good mood – ready to face whatever the day has for you. This is not only good for you but also those around you.
If you are short of sleep, you can feel cranky, which makes you more likely to become stressed and anxious. Even by small things like traffic or your coffee order taking too long! These heightened levels of stress can also put a strain on your relationships, as you are more prone to be cranky and disagreeable.
Sleep Can Reduce the Chance of Having a Car Crash
A study from the AAA Foundation found that sleep deprivation can significantly elevate crash rates and estimated that 16-21% of all fatal crashes involve a drowsy driver. This is due to sleep deprivation, causing slower reactions and lapses in concentration.
As you can see, the importance of getting a good night’s sleep is far more than just a nice thing to do. Sleep can significantly affect your health, relationships and productivity. Having poor quality or insufficient sleep can be counterproductive to many things. Ensuring you get the recommended 7-8 hours may take up some of your day, but it will leave you brighter, more responsive and with higher levels of concentration, which can only be a good thing.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
