Importance of sleep.

Sleep; a state of relaxation for the body and mind that usually occurs for several hours every night and our consciousness is suspended.

Sleep is a process that we all partake in which allows us to relax our body and mind. The average person spends about 26 years of their life sleeping, which is quite a chunk! So we spend so much time sleeping, it must be a pretty important part of our lives.

Many of us often feel pressure within ourselves to stay up late, forcing ourselves to just get more tired, however, if we manage to get a full 8+ hours of sleep, we feel many benefits. The most important one is relaxation. It may seem obvious, but our bodies need to relax. After long days, we need to give our muscles a chance to physically relax as well as letting our sometimes overwhelming thoughts escape our heads. Relaxation in itself has many benefits such as increased blood flow to give us more energy in the morning, calmer and clearer mind which aids positive thinking, concentration, memory and decision making. It also slows our heart rate, reduces our blood pressure and relieves tension.

Sleep also has health benefits, such as the prevention of weight gain and a boost in our immune system. A fully functioning and healthy immune system helps you go about your daily life as you come into contact with germs and bugs from the outside environment. Without a healthy immune system, you could pick up infections and diseases more easily. As a result, sleep can also help us live longer lives. On top of this, sleep allows us to have a healthy look at our skin, and without sleep, our skin can become irritated and develop texture.

It's important to think about what will happen if we do not get enough sleep. Well, there are a few serious side effects that happen if we don't get any sleep. Long term mood disorders can develop, and because of this mental health issues can develop later in life; most commonly anxiety, schizophrenia, and depression. People who get little sleep may also have trouble with sleep terrors; a disorder that causes fear, terror and dread. Our immune system can also be weakened, causing us to be physically unwell and sick, also meaning that we will not be able to fight off bacteria as well as others. You may end up forgetting things more often and sometimes you may become more hungry. These are mostly minor inconveniences, however, lack of sleep can lead to higher chances of issues such as cancer, obesity, heart disease, and strokes.

Ok, so now we understand the importance of sleep but some of us may actually struggle to get to sleep. The best and most important tip is to get rid of all technology before bed for about 45 minutes before you plan to sleep. The light of phone and computer screens can really impact our sleep patterns and it makes it harder to sleep, but by resting our eyes from the screen beforehand we can prepare our bodies for sleep. Some suggestions for things to do instead are, reading, planning your day for tomorrow (with pen and paper) and tidying up. You should also cut out caffeine intakes and instead drink water, as caffeine has opposite effects on sleep and makes us want to stay awake. Cooling your room down at night by opening windows may sound a little controversial, but it is very beneficial. Breathing exercises have also helped me get to sleep. The most popular one being the 4-7-8 method. For this breath in for 4 counts, hold for 7, and exhale for 8, and before you know it you will be sound asleep. If you are really committed to a good sleep every night, I recommend having a schedule in which you go to bed at the same time every night. I have heard of some people putting relaxing music under their pillows, as this can slow your heart rate and put us into a state of relaxation. My final top tip is to use scents in your room. I use essential oils, as not only do they help you fall asleep but they can also have many health benefits.

The bottom line is that sleep is vital for our existence. Of course, sometimes we will get more sleep than others, however, we should be aiming for around 7-9 hours of sleep every night. If you need to, I recommend 'planning your sleep'. This means you think about your next day and what time you will have to leave home, how long it takes to get ready etc. and then work out from that what time you will need to get up. For example, if I have to leave home at 8 am and it takes me 45 mins to get ready, I'd wake up at around 7 am, meaning I go to bed at 11 pm for a full 8 hours of sleep.

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thomasjlblog

28th April 2021.