Why Quality Sleep is Important For the Body and Mind
Sleep is an important function that helps the mind and body recharge, leaving the person alert and refreshed when they wake up. Most adults need around seven to nine hours of quality sleep at night. Kids and teenagers require much more, particularly if they’re under the age of five.
How Important is Quality Sleep
Alexander Djerassi stresses the importance of quality sleep. It helps the body stave off diseases and remain healthy. The brain doesn’t function optimally without sufficient sleep. This can impair people’s ability to:
- Think clearly
- Concentrate
- Process memories
Obtaining regular sleep can help improve various problems from blood sugar to workouts.
Different things can prevent people from obtaining sufficient sleep, including:
- Day-to-day stressors
- Work schedules
- Medical conditions
- A disruptive bedroom atmosphere
Health Benefits of Quality Sleep
Alexander Djerassi would like to add that different benefits of quality sleep are:
1. Better Brain Power
When a person is low on sleep, it can make it difficult for them to hold onto and recall details. This is because sleep helps in both memory and learning. When the person doesn’t obtain sufficient sleep, it’s difficult for them to take in and focus on new information. The brain also doesn’t have adequate time to store memories properly where the person can pull them up later.
2. Better Concentration and Productivity
Studies conducted in the 2000s allowed scientists to look at sleep deprivation’s effects. What they concluded is sleep was associated with a few brain functions, such as:
- Productivity
- Concentration
- Cognition
The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry published one study in particular in 2015 showing that the sleep patterns of children could directly affect their academic performance and behavior.
3. Athletic Achievement
When a person engages in sports requiring quick bursts of energy, like weightlifting or wrestling, loss of sleep might not impact them as much as endurance sports such as:
- Swimming
- Biking
- Running
However, they’re still robbing themselves of muscle repair time and energy. Loss of quality sleep can sap motivation, which they require to make it to the finish line. They might also experience slower reaction times due to harder physical and mental challenges.
How to Get Quality Sleep
Adults who don’t obtain adequate quality sleep during the night could implement more positive sleep habits and a healthier lifestyle in order for them to get their required seven to nine hours. These include:
- Maintaining low light levels and comfortable temperature settings in the bedroom.
- Establishing a proper bedtime and sticking to it each night, even over the weekends.
- Considering a “screen ban” on computers, televisions, cell phones, tablets and other electronic devices in the bedroom
- Refraining from using tobacco
- Abstaining from alcohol, caffeine and big meals in the hours that lead up to bedtime
- Exercising during the day to help them prepare for sleep and wind down in the evening
- Quality sleep is essential, but often neglected. It’s needed for a person’s overall well-being and health. It’s essential because it helps the body repair and prepare itself for another day.