It makes you thin, happy and sexy. (And a few more things, if those don't appeal.)
By
Michael Martin, Metro
In our overscheduled, device-dominated lives, it's too easy to
consider sleep a waste of time. And in fact, Americans are getting less
shut-eye than ever before:
According to Gallup,
the average American sleeps only 6.8 hours per night, compared to nine
hours in the early twentieth century. When everyone's logging fewer
hours, it's easy to lose sight of why sleep is important.
[post_ads]So why is sleep important? Science has linked insufficient sleep to a
number of ailments, including depression, weight gain, ADHD, heart
disease, cancer and Alzheimer's Disease. It's no wonder that in 2014 the
Center for Disease Control named inadequate sleep a
"public health epidemic."
The National Sleep Foundation recommends that the average adult get 7
to 9 hours each night, and warns that fewer than 6 can be problematic.
So put down your cellphone, start DVR'ing Seth Meyers and hit the hay
at a decent hour! Poor sleep hygiene — mainly, staring at screens and
eating too close to bedtime — is a major contributor to insomnia. Need
more convincing? Here are the top reasons why sleep is important (that
you may not already know).
Why sleep is important
Sleep helps you stay a healthy weight
Numerous studies have shown that inadequate sleep can contribute to
significant weight gain. Why? According to the director of the Sleep,
Metabolism and Health Center at the University of Chicago, sleep
deprivation increases ghrelin, known as "the hunger hormone," and
decreases leptin, the hormone that regulates satiety, leading to
overeating. People who undersleep consume about 300 more calories per
day than someone who's well-rested, and their bodies respond less
efficiently to insulin, which regulates how the body uses calories for
energy. Sleeping with a partner also lowers levels of the stress hormone
cortisol; at elevated levels, it tells the body to hang on to belly
fat.
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Sleep boosts your mental health
A lack of sleep has been linked to depression and Alzheimer's
Disease. Research shows that people with insomnia have ten times the
risk of developing depression than those who sleep soundly. What's more,
a 2017 study published in the journal Neurology showed that
sleeplessness can interfere with the brain's "glymphatic system," a
cleaning procedure that happens during sleep, in which cerebrospinal
fluid flushes waste from the spaces between neurons. A buildup of that
waste, or plaque, has been linked to dementia and Alzheimer's.
Sleep protects against cancer and heart disease
[post_ads]The "body clock" isn't just a cute concept — sleep keeps your inner
machinery running properly. During sleep, our body produces the hormone
melatonin — which only happens during sleep and at night. Several
studies have shown that people who have lower levels of melatonin (such
as night-shift workers) have a higher incidence of several cancers. And
because insomniacs have trouble processing insulin as mentioned above,
they run the risk of developing "metabolic syndrome," which raises the
chance of weight gain, diabetes and cancer.
Sleep improves your sex life
If all that wasn't enough to convince you, here's perhaps a more
compelling reason why sleep is important: Sleep is crucial to the
production of testosterone, which is key to both the male and female
libido. Studies have shown that men who sleep four hours a night have
roughly half the testosterone level of men who sleep eight hours. Beyond
sex, getting adequate sleep might save your relationship — couples who
sleep together in bed exhibit higher levels of oxytocin, known as the
"bonding hormone."
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