Everyone has heard the saying ‘You snooze, you lose’ but what are the benefits of a good night’s sleep? The Sleep Council has appointed the month of March as National Bed Month and aims to raise awareness about the health benefits of a sound sleep.
Benefits Of A Good Night’s Sleep
- Improved memory and retention – depriving your body of sleep can make it harder to absorb and recall new information which are critical steps in forming new memories. A study showed that people performed better on memory tests after a single night of sleep.
- Increased attention span – a good night’s sleep can help you feel energised to stop your mind from wandering and help you stay on track with your work. A better attention span can improve the quality of your work as well as your productivity levels!
- Rest to repair – our bodies need sleep as this is when our immune system release cytokines which are needed to fight infections in the body. Sleep deprivation decreases the production of cytokines making your body more prone to infection. Therefore, a good night’s sleep can keep your immune system strong.
- Mental health – a lack of sleep increases the risk of developing poor mental health. There is a very close relationship between mental health and sleep. For example, mental health problems can affect how you sleep and poor sleep can have a negative impact on your mental health.
Tips On How To Improve Your Sleep
Take the pressure off of how much sleep you are getting because one size does not fit all. Staring at the clock thinking about how much sleep you are losing will not help you to fall asleep. Instead try out a guided sleep meditation that will talk you into a relaxed state and get you prepared for bed. There are even sleep podcasts available that are made to be so uninteresting and boring that you are bound to fall asleep!
Sleep problems affect more than 50% of people with anxiety disorder. Feeling anxious and worried make it really hard to fall asleep as your brain is working over-time and isn’t able to get into a peaceful state. Writing a list or journaling before bed about the things that are worrying you is a good habit to get into as it can help to clear your mind and stop your mind from racing.
Consider getting into a bed-time routine as it is shown to remove uncertainty and therefore reduce stress. A routine will give you more control and can help you to feel more productive and focused.
By Pooja Depala