On the search to get a better life, we are always looking for ways to perform better. Sleep is one of those natural and miraculous remedies for the entire body. This is one thing no one should neglect.
Imagine the body as a workshop that carries out various essential functions. When you go to sleep at night, it can be likened to a night shift because your body keeps working as you sleep. While you sleep, your entire body will recover from activities of the day, heal cells that have been damaged, boost your immune system and recharge your cardiovascular system and heart for the following day.
The value of sleep is felt when that refreshing feeling comes to the body after a good rest and everyone can say they have experienced this at one time or the other. Even though a lot of people know that sleep is beneficial to the overall health of the body, many are still not getting quality sleep.
The sleep cycle
What happens during sleep is important and the same as understanding the cycle of sleep. There are two stages of sleep that happen repeatedly. These stages are Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM), and they are significant for varied body functions.
About 20% to 25% of a good night’s sleep is REM sleep. This is when we dream and is vital for processing and strengthening memories, emotions, and stress in the mind.
The other 75% to 80% of sleep is NREM sleep. This is when many of sleep’s health bodies, including energy restorations, tissue growth and repair, the release of hormones for growth, happen.
Whether as a result of frequent waking or snoring, these REM and NREM sleep periods could be interrupted at night we miss out on some benefits of sleep on our health.
When you don’t get enough sleep
When the body does not have ample time to cycle through REM and NREM sleep, you will wake up disadvantaged. You might battle with:
- Laboring to make decisions, remember things and take in new information at work
- Feeling bad-tempered, sleepy or even feeling depressed
- Craving unhealthy types of food that could cause you to add weight
Your body, nervous system, and overall health will feel the strain if this reoccurs night after night.
When you get enough sleep
On the other hand, if you take time off to have some good sleep or consciously fix your bad sleeping habits, the benefits to your overall health are amazing.
- You will learn better because sleep deprivation impairs the ability to learn and retain new information
- You will find that staying fit and building muscle is easier because hormones are properly released for development, and all bad cells have a chance to heal properly
- You will be happier since good sleep or lack of it directly affects the mood, depression, and anxiety
With all the many benefits of sleeping well, you will find yourself spending less time and money at the doctors.
