Why sleep is important

These are the factors believed to drive chronic diseases, including heart disease. Sleeping less than 7—8 hours per night is linked to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Experimental sleep restriction affects blood sugar and reduces insulin sensitivity 16 , In a study in healthy young men, restricting sleep to 4 hours per night for 6 nights in a row caused symptoms of prediabetes Poor sleep habits are also strongly linked to adverse effects on blood sugar in the general population.

Those sleeping less than 6 hours per night have repeatedly been shown to be at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes 19 , Sleep deprivation can cause prediabetes in healthy adults in as little as 6 days.

Many studies show a strong link between short sleep duration and type 2 diabetes. Mental health issues, such as depression , are strongly linked to poor sleep quality and sleeping disorders. Poor sleep is even associated with an increased risk of death by suicide Those with sleeping disorders like insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea also report significantly higher rates of depression than those without Poor sleeping patterns are strongly linked to depression, particularly for those with a sleeping disorder.

Even a small loss of sleep has been shown to impair immune function One large 2-week study monitored the development of the common cold after giving people nasal drops with the cold virus They found that those who slept less than 7 hours were almost 3 times more likely to develop a cold than those who slept 8 hours or more.

If you often get colds, ensuring that you get at least 8 hours of sleep per night could be very helpful. Eating more garlic can help as well. Getting at least 8 hours of sleep can improve your immune function and help fight the common cold. In fact, sleep has been linked to improved concentration and higher cognitive function, both of which can help you be successful at work. Speaking of coffee, the more tired you feel, the more likely you are to reach for that afternoon cup.

And while that may seem to fix the afternoon crash problem you experience, the extra caffeine late in the day could set you up for another sleepless night. Talk about a counterproductive cycle. Sleep less than five hours and your chances of a crash quadruple!

Someone studied the effects of sleep deprivation on basketball players and guess what they found? Under-the-covers recovery helps with hand-eye coordination, reaction time and muscle recovery.

Plus, depriving yourself of sleep can have a negative impact on strength and power. Even though sleep gives your body the rest it needs, your mind is still hard at work. Or worse, your mind might actually create false memories. The bottom line: Sleep is good. And necessary. Roy Kohler, MD , who specializes in sleep medicine at SCL Health in Montana, reaffirms all we know about the benefits of sleep, citing research that shows people who get less sleep tend to be heavier, eat more, have a higher BMI, and are more likely to be diabetic.

While there will certainly be ebbs and flows to your sleeping patterns, we hope this is enough evidence to convince you to aim for seven to eight hours a night so your mind and body can fully reap all the benefits.

Need some help counting sheep? These days this can be harder than ever, but relaxation techniques, a warm bath or mindfulness practice can all help. It can be tempting to turn on the TV or phone screen but this may stimulate you and make it harder to nod off. What you eat and drink can affect your sleep.

Stimulants like caffeine can make it harder to sleep, and a heavy or sugary meal close to bedtime can make sleep uncomfortable. Alcohol might seem to help you get to sleep, but it reduces the quality of sleep later.

Taking exercise during the day is also a good way to aid sleep, but exercise releases adrenaline so exercising during the evening may be less helpful. Read our guide How to As the sun rises, your body releases cortisol KOR-tih-sol.

This hormone naturally prepares your body to wake up. The rhythm and timing of the body clock change with age. Teens fall asleep later at night than younger children and adults.

One reason for this is because melatonin is released and peaks later in the hour cycle for teens. As a result, it's natural for many teens to prefer later bedtimes at night and sleep later in the morning than adults. People also need more sleep early in life, when they're growing and developing.

For example, newborns may sleep more than 16 hours a day, and preschool-aged children need to take naps. Young children tend to sleep more in the early evening. Teens tend to sleep more in the morning. Also, older adults tend to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. The patterns and types of sleep also change as people mature. For example, newborn infants spend more time in REM sleep. The amount of slow-wave sleep a stage of non-REM sleep peaks in early childhood and then drops sharply after puberty.

It continues to decline as people age. Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety. The way you feel while you're awake depends in part on what happens while you're sleeping. During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health.

In children and teens, sleep also helps support growth and development. The damage from sleep deficiency can occur in an instant such as a car crash , or it can harm you over time. For example, ongoing sleep deficiency can raise your risk for some chronic health problems. It also can affect how well you think, react, work, learn, and get along with others. Sleep helps your brain work properly. While you're sleeping, your brain is preparing for the next day. It's forming new pathways to help you learn and remember information.

Studies show that a good night's sleep improves learning. Whether you're learning math, how to play the piano, how to perfect your golf swing, or how to drive a car, sleep helps enhance your learning and problem-solving skills.

Sleep also helps you pay attention, make decisions, and be creative. Studies also show that sleep deficiency alters activity in some parts of the brain. If you're sleep deficient, you may have trouble making decisions, solving problems, controlling your emotions and behavior, and coping with change. Sleep deficiency also has been linked to depression, suicide, and risk-taking behavior. Children and teens who are sleep deficient may have problems getting along with others. They may feel angry and impulsive, have mood swings, feel sad or depressed, or lack motivation.

They also may have problems paying attention, and they may get lower grades and feel stressed. Sleep plays an important role in your physical health. For example, sleep is involved in healing and repair of your heart and blood vessels. Ongoing sleep deficiency is linked to an increased risk of heart disease , kidney disease, high blood pressure , diabetes, and stroke. Sleep deficiency also increases the risk of obesity. For example, one study of teenagers showed that with each hour of sleep lost, the odds of becoming obese went up.

Sleep deficiency increases the risk of obesity in other age groups as well. Sleep helps maintain a healthy balance of the hormones that make you feel hungry ghrelin or full leptin. When you don't get enough sleep, your level of ghrelin goes up and your level of leptin goes down.

This makes you feel hungrier than when you're well-rested. Sleep also affects how your body reacts to insulin, the hormone that controls your blood glucose sugar level. Sleep deficiency results in a higher than normal blood sugar level, which may increase your risk for diabetes.

Sleep also supports healthy growth and development. Deep sleep triggers the body to release the hormone that promotes normal growth in children and teens. This hormone also boosts muscle mass and helps repair cells and tissues in children, teens, and adults. Sleep also plays a role in puberty and fertility. Your immune system relies on sleep to stay healthy. This system defends your body against foreign or harmful substances.

Ongoing sleep deficiency can change the way in which your immune system responds. For example, if you're sleep deficient, you may have trouble fighting common infections. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times helps you function well throughout the day. People who are sleep deficient are less productive at work and school. They take longer to finish tasks, have a slower reaction time, and make more mistakes.

After several nights of losing sleep—even a loss of just 1—2 hours per night—your ability to function suffers as if you haven't slept at all for a day or two. Lack of sleep also may lead to microsleep. Microsleep refers to brief moments of sleep that occur when you're normally awake. You can't control microsleep, and you might not be aware of it. For example, have you ever driven somewhere and then not remembered part of the trip? If so, you may have experienced microsleep. Even if you're not driving, microsleep can affect how you function.

If you're listening to a lecture, for example, you might miss some of the information or feel like you don't understand the point.