Getting a good night’s sleep is probably the most vital part of your day. Without it, every other aspect of your day is negatively affected and that’s just from one night of little to no sleep. When nights of poor sleep begin to add up, you’re at risk for more serious, and possibly long-term, health problems. Fromyour mental healthand your productivity toyour hearthealth and your immune system, quality sleep is crucial for staying healthy and revitalized. Here are five ways that sleep can improve your overall health and well-being.
1.Solidifies Memory
One central function of restful sleep is consolidating long-term memory by strengthening healthy neural connections, but weakening unwanted ones—a process known asconsolidation. This process occurs because your brain makes some connections during the day that are worth saving, while some are not. It’s during sleep that your brain streamlines these needed connections.
- Clears Out Brain Toxins Linked to Alzheimer’s
Research has revealed that yourbrain performs a vital functionduring sleep that may decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s. During the day, harmful waste proteins that have been linked to the disease accumulate between your brain cells. During sleep, the flow of cerebrospinal fluid increases in your brain, flushing out these toxins. If the same is proven to be true with humans, it may explain the perplexing connection between sleep disorders other brain diseases.
- Leaves You Feeling Revitalized
Getting enough sleep can help you feel energized and motivated when you wake up in the morning. According toHouse Method, having a conducive sleep environment can lead to better and more sleep. Set the room temperature to 68 degrees, invest in a white noise machine, and use blackout curtains to prevent light from seeping into your room. Avoid using electronics, including your smartphone, as bedtime rolls around—the blue light can keep you up and distract you from falling and staying asleep.
- Increases Immunity
While you sleep, proteinsknown as cytokinesare released by your immune system. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body actually decreases the production of these protective proteins and increases your risk of getting sick. Sleep deprivation also reduces antibodies that fight infection. If you find yourself sicker than usual, or would like to avoid getting sick in the first place, getting quality and consistent rest should be an important element of your day-to-day. Make sleep a priority—it’s good for your mental andphysical health.
- Improves Basic Multitasking
Sleep is vital for basic multi-tasking due to its connection to higher cortical function. One of the most intensive and important multitasking activities that you do is driving. Drowsy driving has similar effects on your body and brain as consuming alcohol does. In fact, staying awake for 18 consecutive hours is like driving with a blood alcohol level of .05 (note that .08 is the legal limit).
From boosting your immune system to giving you more energy, sleep plays a vital role in your day-to-day life. Since sleep has such a huge impact on your physical, mental, and emotional health, try to prioritize it each and every night.
Guest post by Kay Elizabeth Carter