Reasons Why Sleep is Important
I’ve gotta say that marriage has improved my sleep game immensely because, unlike myself, Christopher is incredibly disciplined in this area of health (aka he’s turned me into an old woman).
If you’re a “health nut”, you’re likely conscientious about what you eat and how you exercise, but have you stopped to consider the impact that sleep (or lack of sleep) has on your health? I’ve got to confess that this area of my health did not even come into the picture, much less come into focus, until I hit my “health crisis” in my senior year of college.
When Chris and I consider the key elements of a healthy lifestyle, we characterize them into three main areas:
Diet + Exercise + Sleep = Health
Sleep is Part of Healthy Living
If any one of these areas starts to break down, you will likely begin to see a decline in your overall well-being. So why do we consider sleep to be such a substantial part of the health equation?
1. Supports a Healthy Metabolism
Ever since I hit puberty at age twelve, I’ve been in a constant battle against weight. I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t “watching” my diet (with varying levels of success) or pushing to work out more. For the majority of my life, I believed that diet and exercise were the keys to improving my metabolism.
While diet and exercise are key to a healthy metabolism, without healthy sleep they unlock very little, especially in the area of weight management.
In fact, a clear link has been made between a lack of sleep and obesity in both children and adults. [1, 2, 3]
Why?
One reason given is that shortened sleep significantly affects the hormones leptin and ghrelin, which regulate a person’s appetite. When these hormones are “thrown out of whack” by lack of sleep, there is an increase in appetite. [4]
It seems backward but sometimes the best thing you can do for your metabolism is to shut down and sleep.
2. Supports Your Immunity
This may be the benefit of sleep that we are most familiar with. When we get the flu, our natural impulse is to go to sleep and rest. Not only does rest help our bodies heal when we get sick, but it also plays a HUGE role in preventing illness from the onset.
One study found that poor sleep makes you more susceptible to colds [5] and another study found that sleep deprivation reduced the production of natural killer and cellular immune responses. [6]
This should not come as a huge surprise. I can look back to every all-nighter that I ever pulled, and each one was followed by some form of illness.
3. Supports Growth & Development
Whether it’s a child or pregnant woman, good sleep is key to a person’s body healing during various forms of growth. [7, 8]
“Sleep also supports healthy growth and development. Deep sleep triggers the body to release the hormone that promotes normal growth in children and teens. This hormone also boosts muscle mass and helps repair cells and tissues in children, teens, and adults.”
National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute [9]
Because such a clear connection has been drawn between hormones and sleep, research has also been conducted to determine whether sleep could potentially be used to help treat infertility. [10]
4. Helps Prevent Inflammation
In a previous blog post, we explored how stress and anxiety directly impact the health of our guts, and, not surprisingly, sleep plays a significant role in our ability to manage stress and inflammation.
Sleep disturbances have been directly linked with inflammation and gastrointestinal disorders. [11, 12, 13, 14]
The significance of this is clear when you consider the important role that gut health plays in literally every facet of our mental and physical well-being.
5. Improves Alertness & Productivity
I can still remember the days when pulling all-nighters was viewed as an accomplishment. Ironically, studies show that getting a good night’s sleep before a big exam, interview, presentation, etc. is likely more helpful than stressing your body out by cramming just one more piece of information into your brain or rehearsing your presentation just one last time. [15, 16, 17, 18]
When we’re tired, we are more prone to make mistakes.
It’s that simple.
In fact, one study examined the driving abilities of sleep-deprived drivers with intoxicated drivers and concluded that fatigued driving is on par with drunk driving! [19]
6. Improved Athletic Performance
Chris was raised in athletics — and when we first started dating, some of his favorite activities included beach volleyball, trail running, mountaineering, and rock climbing (yes, I married a stud).
I can distinctly remember a conversation we had after a workout when he told me that he wanted to lose a few pounds so he could jump a little higher in the sand for volleyball. This was a bit of a foreign concept to me because I had always been active in order to stay trim. It may sound similar, but our motivations were completely different.
Whether your activity is motivated by maximum performance or simply a desire to remain fit, sleep is imperative.
In one study, Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research Laboratory evaluated the effects that sleep extension could have on collegiate basketball players’ abilities. It concluded that sleep is “likely beneficial in reaching peak athletic performance.” [20]
On the other hand, another study examined the effects that disturbed sleep has on the daytime activities of elderly women. It concluded that “poorer sleep was associated with worse physical function.” [21]
You couldn’t get more different groups to evaluate when it comes to fitness capability. Bottom line is that whatever your activity goals are, sleep will have a direct impact on your success in achieving them.
7. Improves Mood, Emotions & Behavior
This one should also come as no surprise. We’ve all experienced the shortened fuse of a bad night’s sleep, both as the fuse and the recipient. It’s certainly something that can be easily verified experientially, but research has also been conducted to help explain the “why.”
Why Lack of Sleep Affects Mood & Behavior:
- It dampens emotional empathy [22]
- It hampers the ability to read facial cues, especially in the categories of anger and happiness [23]
- It affects the ability to regulate emotions [24]
Improved communication = a happier existence!
Is Sleep a Part of Your Health Plan?
Are you fighting a chronic illness? Are you training for a marathon? Are you working in a high-stress environment? Whatever your situation may be, your optimal health cannot be achieved without taking care of your sleep.
If your body isn’t able to rest, then it cannot heal itself, recover from a hard workout, or regulate its normal functions. Obviously, sleep doesn’t come easily for some, and because this is a growing concern for many, we plan to continue this conversation on sleep for the next couple of weeks.
If you have a specific routine that helps you to sleep through the night, we would love to hear from you. Don’t be a stranger!
