Contributed by Paul Rubin
Not scientifically reviewed by Dr. Eeks
Sleep controls many aspects of your life such as our mood, reactions, interactions with others, ability to control stress, and critical thinking, as well as various health benefits. This is why it is an incredibly important element in anyone’s life, and it is why your body will want to do it so often, for so long, and all throughout your life.
However, for some people, it can be harder to get the right amount of it. The reason some people have trouble sleeping might be due to a selection of issues, some of which will take more time and effort to fix than others, for example untreated sleep disorders like sleep apnea or insomnia. Whereas there also might be smaller, easier steps to combat that a person can take to improve their sleep.
Everyone is unique and all require different amounts of sleep based on your lifestyles to be able to function optimally. The amount of sleep a person requires throughout their life changes with age, and the individual. When first born, babies require around 14 -17 hours of sleep a day, but by the time you are an adult the time required to sleep will have halved to 7-8 hours of sleep. Regardless of your lifestyle or personal situation, sleep is one of the most important parts of your lifestyle.
Why is sleep important?
Here are a few reasons why sleep is important.
#1 Lowers risk of diseases and illness
Your body sleeps for a reason. When you miss out on your sleep, or you consistently get poor quality sleep, you are increasing your risk of developing an illness or a disease, or making any conditions that you already have, worse. One of the biggest risks an individual faces is the risk of heart disease, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sleep can help lower the risk. It can also lower the risk of weight gain and mental health conditions such as depression.
#2 Boosts memory and focus
Sleep disruption can not only leave you feeling tired, but it can also impact cognitive abilities such as your focus and memory. This will impact your daily tasks, your motivation, your relationships and your professional career. If this is not dealt with quickly, it can become a long-term problem that impacts your mental wellbeing and the quality of your life. When you get the right amount of sleep, you will see a positive difference in memory and focus.
#3 Increase athletic performance
When you don’t sleep, you will feel tired and sluggish all day long. This is because sleep plays an important role in healing your body and repairing functions that were exhausted during the day. When you get a good night’s sleep, you will find your athletic performance increases, as you have more energy, better endurance and better reaction times.
Important things to consider
When thinking about why sleep is so important, it can be helpful to review your own practices around sleep. Here are some important things that you should consider when it comes to sleep.
Creating a sleep schedule
A great step that you can take towards improving your quality of sleep is to create a strong sleep schedule. Figure out when you need to wake up and then work backward from that.
Bedtime routine awareness
The routine that you create for yourself before bed will play into and impact your sleep schedule. Take some time to consider what you normally do before going to bed and whether your actions are positively or negatively impacting your ability to actually go to sleep. If you are stressed before bed, try breathing techniques for anxiety.
What you consume before going to bed
You should also think about what you are consuming before going to bed, and what you are putting into your body as there will be helpful as well as negative actions you could be taking. For example, the THC found in a Delta 8 THC Vape Cartridge may help calm your body and mind. However, if you decided to have coffee, this would stimulate your body and mind, resulting in a lower quality of sleep. Always check with your doctor if you decide to take any supplements, as they could interfere with medication or have unwanted side effects.
Clearing your mind
A lot of people will struggle to switch off if something is bothering them, and while it is not an easy task to ignore or put something aside while trying to sleep, there are things that you can do to try and help with this. It could be as easy as talking with someone and airing or fixing the problem that is bothering you. Other options could include journaling or meditation.
Sleep is vital if you want a good life. Make sure you consider these top tips.