Sleep Tight: Why a Good Night’s Rest is So Important

For years and years, doctors, scientists, and researchers have studied the effects of sleeping and the side effects of not getting enough sleep. This research has subsequently shown that getting a good night’s sleep has far more benefits than anyone could imagine. 

If you are still underestimating how powerful a good night’s sleep is and the problems with the not sleeping enough, here is everything you need to know about both. 

Importance of the Right Mattress

One of the first things you need to know about good sleep is that the right mattress is an integral part of it. No matter where you are, look up Australian mattress sizes or European mattress sizes, and find the one that fits you and your body. The stiffness of the mattress is also important, but don’t underestimate the power of getting one that is the right size. 

Improves Attention & Concentration

The first benefit that we see when getting enough sleep is that we experience a sharp increase in attention and concentration. More importantly, it is an increase that will last for a while and not just spike. 

If you work a job that requires a high level of concentration, thinking, and problem-solving, being able to focus for four, five, or six hours is a must. 

Helps Maintain a Healthy Weight

A good night’s rest has also been shown to help maintain a healthy weight and, in some cases, lose weight. While more studies are needed, preliminary results show that the less sleep you get, the more you eat. 

If you are awake for longer, you use more energy and therefore eat more; this overeating can lead to weight gain. 

Keeps Your Heart Healthy

When you are sleeping, your heart rate and blood pressure will naturally lower as you are in a state of rest. Not sleeping properly can sometimes lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and even stroke. 

Mental Wellbeing

How many times have you felt overworked, stressed, or anxious, and simply going to bed was enough to turn your mood and mental state around? While sleep doesn’t, and won’t, cure everything, it is the missing piece of the puzzle in many cases. 

Sleeping allows you to reset and regenerate, not just physically, either. It gives your brain the time to reset as well, and you will wake up feeling fresh and ready to take on whatever challenges you are facing. 

Athletic Performance

This is a fairly obvious one, but there is a reason why sleeping for eight to ten hours and daily naps are part of many professional athletes’ regimes. It is the best thing you can do to rest and tired and sore body and keep it functioning and the top of its game. 

You also don’t need to be a pro athlete to see and feel these benefits; if you work a job that has you on your feet all day, sleeping properly will make a world of difference to how your feet, legs, and body feels. 

What Happens When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep

Now that you know the benefits of getting a good night’s sleep, here are a few of the consequences of not sleeping properly. 

You Get Sick Easier

One of the first things you will notice is that you will get, or at least feel sick, easier than normal. Colds and flu are two things that can hit you much quicker and feel way worse if you haven’t had enough sleep. 

Sleeping enough keeps your body and immune system at a healthy level and therefore allows you to fight off sickness more effectively. 

Poor Decision-Making Skills

Nother side-effect that you will notice very quickly is that you start making poor decisions, and your brain is much slower to react to simple activities. Simple tasks like making breakfast or figuring out which train you’re taking to work end up being much harder than usual. 

While this type of thing will affect everyone differently, it is important to remember that we are all still affected to some degree. 

Harder to Control Emotions

Not sleeping enough plays absolute havoc on our emotions. This can range from having a short fuse and snapping quicker than usual, or simply breaking down in the face of a task or problem that you would usually deal with. 

When we don’t get enough sleep, we often feel like we are constantly on edge and can snap at any small thing that goes wrong. This is not only something that is difficult to deal with, but it is also difficult for those people around us. 

Unproductive

Another problem associated with not getting enough sleep is how unproductive we become. If you are drained, it is far too common for quick and simple tasks to take one, two, or even three hours to finish. 

Subsequently, not being productive can lead to stress as you are now annoyed at yourself for not getting things done. This stress can then cause you to not sleep, and now you are stuck in a neverending circle of not sleeping, not being productive, and being stressed. 

Poor Physical Performance

Finally, since sleeping can improve physical performance, not sleeping will have the opposite effect. Easy cardio systems and lifting light weights will suddenly feel far more difficult than usual, even if you are a regular at the gym. 

Outside of the gym, your body is going to feel very drained and sluggish, and even standing for extended periods of time is going to feel like a marathon in a way.