Our daily lives can be hectic at times causing our sleep to be compromised. Between the gym, work, and numerous responsibilities, we may forget to get the proper rest needed for sustained energy. Healthy adults need about 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. Establishing a proper sleep pattern is essential for everyday health, and will even improve your outlook on life. When you deprive yourself of sleep browsing social media or watching Netflix, you are prone to approaching the day emotionally agitated. Not only can sleeping well impact your health, it can affect how you feel. Here are 5 reasons why getting proper rest is important to living a well-balanced life.
Increases productivity in your day
When you are well-rested you have the drive to accomplish more in the day. Productivity is increased in the workplace making it easier to take on a heavier workload. When you are sleep deprived at work, it can affect your performance to do your job and influence room for error. The Sleep Foundation revealed a 2008 Sleep in American poll showing that 29 percent of people said they had fallen asleep at work due to drowsiness. Professions in the medical field are high-risk for error due to sleep deprivation and are the most critical to maintaining healthy sleep patterns.
Improves your sense of emotional well-being
It has been proven that sleep is linked to depression and anxiety and can negatively impact your perspective on life. Sleep is vital to maintaining good mental health and preventing feelings of desolation and sadness. As it pertains to mental health, poor sleeping habits can also mean sleeping too much. According to Better Help, hypersomnia is one of the symptoms of atypical depression and causes you to sleep heavily during the day. It is recommended to take only about 30 minutes of rest during the day for naps to avoid oversleeping and keep your sleeping pattern regulated. If you are experiencing feelings of depression or anxiety instead of sleeping, try to stay moving until bedtime.
Prevents disease and improves overall health
Sleeping less than the recommended guidelines for adults overtime can be harmful. Inadequate sleep is correlated with risk of health issues such as heart disease and stroke. Lack of sleep also impacts the immune system and the ability to fight off viruses. According to the Mayo Clinic, when we are sick the immune system produces cytokines and doesn’t produce enough when the body is sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation is also linked to weight gain putting the body at risk for obesity and other weight-related health risk factors.
Getting adequate sleep at night is easier said than done and takes effort to establish a sleep pattern. Put your phone on airplane mode and turn off the TV to avoid staying up too late. We need to be able to perform well in the workplace, maintain good mental health, and prevent risk of getting sick. As we get older, proper rest is essential on this road to good health.
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Boy
You said a mouthful about getting/not getting enough rest/sleep. Looking back to when I had the Covid, I was working 5-6 shifts (12hrs) a week at the time. I was totally Run Down and didn’t realize it. I was a Robot in action , on automatic pilot with an immune system probably close to depleted. No wonder it hit me from what seemed like out of no where. Proper rest or the lack of definitely affects every area of your life. I now work less, pay more attention to my body and my schedule. Thanks for reminding even us nurses that “I am Not Superwoman “
Sincerely
MsGloria