Have you ever been in a situation where you’re experiencing some sort of persistent headache, and then when you decide to go see the doctor, he does not prescribe any medication and instead asks you to go home and get yourself enough sleep? Well, if you haven’t, it happens to so many people who don’t get sufficient sleep.
Apart from headaches, inadequate sleep can have a wide range of effects on your body and health, including reduced alertness, impaired memory, daytime drowsiness, relationship stress, irritability, and an increased risk of suffering from certain diseases, just to mention a few. From whichever angle you look at it, sleep is crucial to your health and overall wellness.
As you may already know, sleep quality is determined by several factors, including your sleep environment, your diet, and your day’s activity. In the long term, it is also determined by your sleep pattern, which basically refers to the number of times you fall asleep and wake up in a layman ’s terms. Sleep patterns may also be described as the internal sleep clock, meaning that the time you go to bed and the time you wake up are both important as they affect your sleep quality. In this case, sleep patterns may be termed regular or irregular.
The Importance of Sleep Comfort
Now, before we get to the main reasons why a good sleep pattern is important, it is important to note that the various factors that affect sleep patterns also affect the quality and quantity of sleep. One of these factors is comfort. If you’re a wet sleeper, for instance, you would sleep better in beddings that minimize sweating at night. On the other hand, if you suffer from back pain or tender joints, you would need a specific kind of mattress that is more supportive. The professional sleep experts mention that these mattresses which provide support may be important in reducing pain. You will find many options in the market but when choosing the right mattress; you’ll want to consider the material, firmness, and thickness along with your preferred sleeping position.
Reasons to Maintain a Good Sleeping Pattern
Increased Performance and Concentration
Sleep inadequacy – which is often caused by irregular sleep routine – can have negative effects on your brain. That is why when you have poor sleeping patterns, you tend to have constant headaches and reduced performance at work. Inadequate sleep can also lead to poor judgment, especially in tasks such as driving. When you lack enough sleep, you tend to feel some type of dizziness similar to that of alcohol intoxication, which impairs brain function. That’s why students are advised to have enough sleep so that they can concentrate well in class.
Increased Athletic Performance
Your mental well-being is an important aspect of your day to day life, and needless to mention, your sleeping pattern has a huge say in it. People who work out often or engage in sports activities need enough rest to allow the body to heal and respond positively to their exercise efforts. After workouts, a lot of processes involving muscle growth and repair take place during rest, especially when someone is asleep. Therefore, maintaining a consistent sleep pattern can help facilitate more energy, better speed, and enhanced performance during intense exercise activities.
Boosts Immune System
For a healthy body and overall well being, sleep is vital because the body is at rest and gets time to relax, repair, and recover. The immune system is composed of many factors that help protect you from diseases and infections. One of these elements is cytokines, proteins that trigger immune responses to fight off infections and bug invasions in the body. It turns out that these proteins are mostly produced and released during sleep, making your sleep patterns overly important to your immunity.
Helps Maintain Body Weight
Sleep and body weight have a direct relationship because when you sleep enough, your body gets enough time to regenerate and prepare for another day. Most people who don’t get enough sleep tend to have a huge appetite, leading to higher calorie intake. This can lead to weight gain, which puts one at risk of suffering from certain lifestyle diseases.
Enhances Intelligence
According to a recent publication on Psychology Today, studies have shown that people who do not get enough sleep do not have emotional empathy. They have poor judgment and have issues recognizing people’s emotions. Most of them are unable to interact well when sleep-deprived and getting other people’s expressions becomes challenging. In such a case, one can easily end up having poor social and emotional intelligence due to their inability to clearly read people’s emotions.
Many people associate sleep with laziness but from above, we have clearly seen that sleep is health and health is wealth. It is important to compensate for lost sleep through daytime naps or seek help if you’re sleep-deprived. It’s also important to observe a consistent bedtime and wake up routine so you can have a regular sleep pattern.
