If you’re looking for a good excuse to not get out of bed then you’ve found it. What difference could an extra hour of sleep make to your life? Well, quite a lot, so the experts say. Studies show that not getting enough sleep may negatively affect your health, your mood, your weight, and even your sex life. Getting less than the recommended 7 or 8 hours a night over time can affect you in numerous ways. Here are some reasons why you should get an early night tonight:
- Better Health – Getting a good night’s sleep won’t make you invincible but so many scientific studies have found a link between sleep deprivation and serious health problems such as heart attack, obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Consistently getting plenty of rest will undoubtedly provide you with countless health benefits. Shift workers in particular and those who work nights are more likely to be affected as they are continually upsetting their body clock.
- Better Weight Control – Getting enough sleep could help you maintain your weight because sleep loss can lead to an increased risk of weight gain. When we’re overtired we have less energy and crave sugar and starch to provide us with that short-lived burst of energy. Leptin is a hormone that helps us to feel full and when we don’t get enough sleep, leptin levels drop so we feel hungrier. For a fitness and lifestyle blog site,visit gofitnesslifestyle.com
- Less pain – if you are suffering from a chronic pain problem or even an acute pain following an injury, getting enough sleep can actually decrease the amount of pain you experience. Sleep loss seems to be linked to a lowering in the pain threshold which is a vicious circle as pain makes it harder to sleep of course.
- Lower risk of injury – you might be safer if you make sure you get the recommended amount of sleep on a regular basis. Sleep deprivation has been cited in many notorious disasters and accidents and it is estimated that a fifth of all road accidents occur due to so-called ‘drowsy driving. Any kind of accident is more likely when you’re tired as you’re less alert.
- Improve your mood – while there is no guarantee that you’ll be skipping along, full of the joys of spring but we all know that when we’re tired, we’re grumpy. Sleep deprivation reduces our ability to regulate our emotions. Therefore, we are more likely to snap, cry or sulk.
- Clearer thinking – Have you ever woken up after a bad night’s sleep, feeling fuzzy and easily confused, like your brain can’t get out of first gear? Sleep deprivation impairs cognition, decision making and attention levels. You’re more likely to make mistakes than you are if you’re well rested.