In today’s modern society fixated on a ‘go, go, go!’ mentality, getting under the covers to hit the recommended amount of sleep nightly (7 to 9 hours, FYI) can feel like an unnecessary luxury.
But here’s the truth.Getting adequate sleep is essential to optimal health.
Research increasingly suggests that quality sleep helps remove built-up toxins from your brain, consolidate memories, restore your ability to concentrate, and even rebuild your muscles–among plenty of other benefits.
Not quite convinced? Then this article is a must-read for you. Here, we explore sleep's health benefits in detail, so you understand how crucial sleeping is (get ready for an early night!)
Want to spend less time at the doctor’s (honestly, who doesn’t?) Then you need to get 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep on a nightly basis.
Research consistently shows that people who don't get enough sleep are more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus like the common cold. Inadequate sleep can also affect your recovery rate from an illness.
But how does sleep (or a lack thereof) affect your immune system?
Well, it’s all got to do with something called cytokines–a particular type of protein your immune system releases during sleep.
These proteins are responsible for targeting infection and inflammation in the body. Imaginably, without sufficient sleep and the reduction in levels of cytokines, you’d be extra susceptible to all the bacteria, germs, and viruses in the environment.
Accordingly, getting ample sleep is vital to keeping yourself in the pink of health.
If you've ever pulled an all-nighter, you'd be familiar with just how awful you can feel the next day. You'd be nursing a headache, struggling to keep your eyes open, and desperately clinging onto anything caffeinated—one word: miserable.
So, the fact that research shows sleep is vital for various aspects of brain function shouldn't surprise you.
Studies have found that adequate sleep improves problem-solving skills and memory performance (i.e.cognitive functioning) of children and adults. While on the contrary, short sleep can negatively impact brain function–with a study likening its effects to that of alcohol intoxication!
Many studies have shown that individuals who don’t sleep enough are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease (e.g. high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack)–regardless of age, weight, smoking, and exercise habits.
Scientists aren’t sure of the mechanism through which poor sleep affects heart health.
Regardless, they believe that insufficient shut-eye over a long period causes disruptions in health conditions and biological processes like blood pressure and inflammation.
And this, in turn, can lead to higher blood pressure during the day–resulting in a greater risk of cardiovascular problems. So, if you want to keep your heart in tip-top condition, logging sufficient sleep should be your priority.
You're probably already aware that your family medical history, and your lifestyle habits (i.e. what you eat and how physically active you are), can affect your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
But did you know that the act of regularly skimping on your sleep can also play a role?
It’s true. Sleep deprivation not only causes your body to release less insulin (a hormone that regulates blood glucose) but also increases the secretion of cortisol–a hormone that makes it harder for insulin to do its job effectively.
This two-fold effect on your hormones causes excess glucose to circulate in your bloodstream, increasing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes!
You know the importance of getting enough sleep. You make it a point to reduce blue light exposure in the evening, regulate your room’s temperature, and get under the covers at 10 pm…
And nothing. As many sheep as you count, your eyes remain firmly wide open.
Sounds familiar? Well, our brand new product, Magnesium+, could be the solution for your sleep woes. We’ve blended a highly bioavailable magnesium complex with the best sleep inducing botanicals to help get you to zzz land faster than you can ever imagine. Trust us.