Sleep is an essential part of human health. It allows the body to recover from daily stress, and helps your brain sort out your thoughts.
However, many people don’t get enough sleep. Here are 10 interesting facts about sleep to help you understand more about this vitally important aspect of your life!
1. You’re more productive
Waking up early can help you be more productive throughout your day. You have more time to get your most taxing tasks out of the way first, and can save less taxing tasks for later in the day when you need more energy.
In addition, getting enough sleep is essential for optimum brain function and has a positive effect on memory, alertness, focus, and other cognitive functions.
It’s also important for emotional well-being and mental health. Chronic lack of sleep increases the risk of mood disorders, like depression and anxiety, as well as other health conditions.
2. You’re more creative
Sleeping early can help you be more creative because it allows you to get the best REM sleep before you wake up. REM sleep is when your brain works most actively and helps you to make the most innovative decisions.
Researchers found that this sleep stage, known as hypnagogia or N1, is the ideal time to be creative because your mind can identify solutions that might have evaded you earlier.
A technique described by surrealist artist Salvador Dali and inventor Thomas Edison – called the Edison method – may be responsible for this effect. To use it, you simply hold an object – like a spoon or ball – while drifting off to sleep.
3. You’re more energetic
Getting enough sleep is essential to your health. Without it, you feel fatigued and sluggish.
The body goes through many processes during sleep, including muscle growth, hormone production, tissue repair and recharging of energy. It also helps the brain and body work properly.
Aside from these benefits, people who get sufficient sleep have a stronger immune system. This makes them less likely to catch colds or fall sick.
If you’re struggling with a bad sleep habit, try getting up earlier than you usually do. In a few days, you’ll notice that you’re more energetic in the mornings. And that’s good news for you and everyone around you. Just remember to make the change a habit! It’s a lot easier than you think. You’ll be thanking yourself in no time! And don’t forget to check out the rest of our newsletter series for even more sleep tips.
4. You’re less irritable
Most people don’t realize it, but sleeping early can help you be less irritable. It’s a fact that our brains require adequate rest to function at peak efficiency, says Judith Zee, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. The most important part is to be consistent about your bedtime. You may want to start small, such as 15 minutes earlier each night and work your way up from there.
Getting enough sleep is vital for your health and happiness. Not only does it help you feel refreshed and more focused, but it also has a variety of other health benefits, including a lower risk for chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. If you’re still not sure how much sleep your body needs, consult with a doctor to find out if you need to make some changes in your schedule.
5. You’re less likely to get sick
Sleep is an important part of our health and wellness. It is made up of 90-minute cycles that include rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (non-REM).
During REM sleep, the brain is more active than during non-REM. This helps improve your memory, focus and other cognitive functions.
You’re less likely to get sick if you sleep early, according to a new study. The researchers found that people who slept six hours or less were four times as likely to catch a cold, compared to those who slept more than seven hours.
Getting sick is not only uncomfortable, but it can also make you miss out on work or school and reduce your productivity. Plus, sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain and other health issues. It’s important to prioritize your sleep schedule so you can be healthy and happy.
6. You’re less likely to have a bad day
Sleep is a vital component of good health and well-being. Getting adequate sleep helps your body function at peak efficiency, allowing you to accomplish your daily tasks with less effort and more energy. It also helps your brain function at its best, enabling you to perform a number of tricks that may be out of your reach without adequate rest.
Insufficient sleep is associated with an array of health issues ranging from weight gain to diabetes to poor memory and concentration. It can even affect your mood and reduce your productivity. It’s no surprise that most of us don’t get enough sleep to be healthy and happy. Thankfully, a few simple changes in your routine will go a long way toward ensuring you have a sound night’s sleep each and every night. Keep these tips in mind and you’ll be able to have a more productive, more enjoyable, and healthier life.
7. You’re less likely to get a headache
Getting quality sleep is one of the best things you can do to avoid getting a headache. It’s no secret that most people who have migraines also have trouble falling or staying asleep.
Luckily, most of these issues are treatable. And the sooner you get them under control, the better.
A few common causes of morning headaches include snoring, sleep apnea, teeth grinding (also called bruxism), and alcohol use. If you’re waking up with a headache and think it may be due to one of these conditions, it’s important to see your doctor right away.
8. You’re less likely to have a heart attack
The right amount of sleep can help you be less likely to have a heart attack, according to a new study. Researchers found that sleep duration influenced heart attack risk independently of 30 other factors, including genetics and other health conditions.
The study analyzed sleep habits and medical records of 461,000 UK Biobank participants. They compared the number of heart attacks between people who slept fewer and more hours per night.
During a 90-minute cycle, we go from deep non-rapid eye movement (NREM) to rapid eye movement (REM). REM sleep is restorative and helps the brain recover from stress and anxiety.
9. You’re less likely to have a stroke
Getting enough sleep is key to keeping your body healthy. It can help improve your mental health, reduce your risk of diabetes and heart disease, and improve your immune system.
Stroke is a serious medical condition that happens when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked or when a blood vessel breaks. It’s a leading cause of death and disability in adults.
If you get to the hospital within 4 1/2 hours of a stroke’s onset, doctors can administer clot-busting drugs to help you recover. But the problem is that many strokes occur during a person’s sleep.
Insufficient sleep increases the risk of stroke by up to 15%, according to the European Heart Journal. It also increases the risk of other health problems, such as obesity and high blood pressure.
10. You’re less likely to have a cancer
Having a healthy lifestyle can make a big difference in your risk of developing cancer. This includes eating well, staying active and not smoking.
There are also certain vaccines and screening tests that can lower your risk of some types of cancer. These can help you find and treat it early when treatment is most effective.
Sleeping early can be hard for some people, especially those who regularly sleep in late. But it’s important to adjust your routine gradually.
Sleeping early can also help you avoid a number of health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. In fact, it could even save your life!