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Having trouble getting to sleep? Maybe you’re not getting enough rest. A lack of sleep can have negative effects on your body, mind and the quality of your life. Some people struggle with finding time to rest. Others find it difficult to fall asleep when they want to because of stress, depression or other factors. There are many sleep health benefits including improved memory, lower stress levels and a reduced risk for heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
Thankfully, there are things you can do to help yourself get more rest every night. You might need to make some adjustments about how you spend your time during the day or night, or maybe even make some lifestyle changes.
Fortunately, the payoff for doing so is well worth it! Here is everything you need to know about the sleep health benefits of getting a good night’s rest:
The earlier in the day you can get this one out of the way, the better. A rough emotional “burndown” at the end of the day can lead to sleep struggles, as sleep is often the only time we have to process our emotions.
You can keep your emotional “coil” from getting out of control by eating a healthy snack, taking a walk or drinking some calming tea, or doing anything that gets your mind off of your worries. Try keeping a notepad in your bedroom.
Write down what you are worried about and try to keep your mind off of it while you are working on other things. This can also be helpful when you need to vent frustrations with your boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse/kid/boss/sister/etc.
Whatever you need to get off your chest to relieve stress.
It’s true - the brain is particularly vulnerable to damage and decline during sleep. Sleep is when your brain is supposed to process the things you’ve learned during the day so you can use them the next day.
If you don’t get enough sleep, you run the risk of negatively affecting your memory and your ability to learn new things.
Sleep also helps to create new brain cells, which are vital for developing new memories and improving your learning skills.
Sleep is particularly important for those who have a hard time concentrating or who struggle with learning disabilities.
If you have the opportunity to learn something new during the day, you can apply it to your own life, or you have the chance to make new connections with people, consider taking advantage of those opportunities while you are awake.
Stress can cause you to feel hyperactive, tense and anxious. Lack of sleep can make these feelings even more intense.
On the other hand, adequate sleep provides an opportunity for the body and brain to relax and unwind, which can help reduce stress and improve feelings of relaxation and calm.
Getting enough sleep can help reduce the negative effects of stress.
This includes making your memory more functional and increasing your creativity while reducing anger and irritability.
In other words, you'll be less likely to lash out at others during the course of the day when you've had a good night's rest.
The right pillow can aid in reduce pain and making your sleep more comfortable depending on the injured site.
Sleep is a time when your brain produces “feel-good” hormones, such as serotonin.
Lack of sleep can lead to an increase in certain stress-related hormones, including cortisol, which can cause feelings of sadness, anger, irritability and more.
Getting enough rest can help promote feelings of happiness and positivity.
This can help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, two major causes of unhappiness.
It can also improve your social life by making you more likely to be approachable and less likely to withdraw from other people.
Sleep has been shown to improve your cognitive function, including your ability to concentrate, focus and process information.
This can be especially important for those who have jobs that require a lot of multitasking, such as a surgeon or a pilot, as it can help to keep your cognitive function from deteriorating as a result of all of the things you need to focus on during the day.
Sleep also helps to process the information you’ve learned during the day. This can lead to better decision-making and a more productive use of your time.
Sleep isn’t just important for those who work in a conventional 9-5 environment.
It’s also an important part of daily life for students who need to stay focused on schoolwork and for anyone else who needs to use their time more efficiently.
There’s a reason that people who get less than the recommended 7 hours of sleep are often described as “sleep deprived.”
Lack of sleep has been shown to increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular problems.
Staying healthy requires a balance between getting the sleep you need and keeping yourself from falling too far behind on your daily schedule.
If you consistently get fewer hours of sleep than you need, you’ll be more likely to develop an unhealthy lifestyle.
This can include poor eating habits, a lack of exercise and a tendency to put excessive stress on your body and mind.
If you have the chance to reduce your daily schedule or simply have more time during the day, consider using that time to do something that gets you more sleep, like relaxing with a book or watching a relaxing YouTube video.
As you can see, there are many sleep health benefits to getting a good night’s rest.
If you struggle to fall asleep or find your quality of sleep is negatively affected, consider making some adjustments to your daily schedule or making some lifestyle changes to promote better sleep.
Because there are so many sleep health benefits to getting a good night’s rest, you should make it a priority.
If you’re having trouble finding the time to rest, make an effort to schedule in some extra time during the day.
Having the best sleep enviornment can be a huge plus, like the best matress and pillow.
This can help you to better manage your time while also giving you the opportunity to relax.
