7 Benefits of Sleep

7 Benefits of Sleep
by Gerber De Lange

1. Sleep helps to repair your body and makes you look better. Much of the
body's healing work takes place while you sleep. Without the need to attend to all of
the functions of daily life, your immune system and organs of detoxification can focus
attention on cleansing and restoration. This is the time when your body does some
major house cleaning, taking care of wastes that have accumulated during the day
and repairing cellular damage. While you are sleeping, your cells produce more
protein. These protein molecules form the building blocks for cells, allowing them to
repair any damage caused by stress, sun exposure (ultraviolet rays), and so on. This
means that also your skin and muscles are repaired and/or regenerated, which gives
you a healthy look. Sleep is essential to the immune system. Without adequate
sleep, the immune system becomes weak, and the body becomes more vulnerable
to infection and disease.
2. Sleep reduces stress. Although stress may seem like a natural result of today's
fast paced lifestyle, this of course doesn't mean that it's good for your body. Too
much stress increases the aging and degeneration of organs, cells and other body
parts. By reducing high levels of stress, sleep helps to reverse these effects and
encourages a state of relaxation.
3. Sleep helps you to concentrate during the day. Anyone who has had a night
with little sleep will recognize this one. You feel lousy and sometimes it can be hard
to focus on a simple conversation. Researchers believe that during sleep, neurons
can shut down and repair any damage done during the day. Without these repairs,
the neurons may not function correctly due to a buildup of waste products.
4. Sleep improves your memory. Researchers do not fully understand why we
sleep and dream, but a process called memory consolidation occurs during sleep.
While your body is resting, your brain is busy processing the day, making connections
between events, sensory input, feelings and memories. We might learn new things
during the day, but night time is when it all sinks in. That's why it could be better to
have a good night's sleep before an exam, instead of studying the whole night
through.
5. Sleep controls your body weight. Sleep helps to regulate the hormones
(cortisol) that affect and control your appetite. Studies have shown that when your
body is deprived of sleep, the normal hormone balances are interrupted and your
appetite increases. Unfortunately this increase in appetite doesn't lead to a craving
for fruits and veggies, but instead your body longs for food high in calories, fats and
carbohydrates. So, if you're trying to lose a few pounds, make sure you get enough
sleep.
6. Sleep reduces the risk of depression. Sleep impacts many of the chemicals in
your body, including serotonin. People with a deficiency in serotonin are more likely
to suffer from depression. You can help to prevent depression by making sure you
are getting the right amount of sleep.
7. Sleep will make you a nicer person. Lack of sleep can make you irritable and
cranky, which seriously affects your social interactions. Taken to extremes, severe
sleep deprivation causes disorientation and paranoia.

So never underestimate how important a good night's rest is.

Sleep well!

About The Author

Gerber de Lange is always searching for more ways to improve his everyday life in
every way. He shares the information and experience he gathers along the way at
the following site:

Many of us want to sleep as little as
possible. There is so much to do that
sleep can seem like a waste of time.
Yet sleep, an essential time of rest
and rejuvenation, benefits our minds
and bodies in many ways. Everyone
knows the downside of not getting
enough sleep. You feel drowsy, have
trouble concentrating, your
productivity is lower and you are
more irritable. Sleep is not a luxury, it
is a need.

Here are 7 benefits of a good night's
sleep.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The content on
this website is for educational purposes only. Please consult with your physician before using natural
remedies and before making any drastic changes to your diet or exercise program.