The Benefits of Sleep for Physical and Emotional Health
Sleep is often underrated. We stay up after the children go to bed to finish chores or unwind. We get up earlier to get a jump on the day. We struggle with insomnia, fatigue, mid-day sugar crashes, anxiety, and depression. Yet, the benefits of sleep outweigh any inconvenience of prioritizing a nighttime routine. Benefits of Sleep on Cognitive and Brain Function The benefits of sleep include improving cognitive and brain function. If you suffer from brain fog, forgetfulness, and “spacing out” throughout the day, you are probably not getting enough sleep. The brain shuttles short-term memory into long-term memory during sleep, while also clearing toxins built up throughout the day. This flushing reduces the risk of disorders such as Alzheimer’s. Fights Brain Fog More Alertness Easier Decision Making Boosts Memory and Productivity Improves Creativity If you have trouble going to bed at a decent hour, try scaling back slowly. For one week, go to bed 15 minutes earlier. The following week, scale back another 15 minutes. Do this until you hit the bedtime you want. It may take your mind and body longer than a week to adapt to the new schedule. Pace your changes to how your body responds. For example, it’s all right to spend a month going to bed 15 minutes earlier before scaling back by another 15 minutes. Benefits of Sleep on Physical Health Not enough good-quality sleep leads to fatigue and to bingeing on caffeine, sugar, and fatty foods for energy. This sudden blood sugar surge is followed quickly by a blood sugar crash that will leave you even more tired. The blood sugar fluctuations also increase your risk for weight gain, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and other medical conditions. Regulates Hormones Activates Rest, Recovery, and Repair Processes Strengthens Immune Response Manages Stress Decreases [...]






