Because of time-consuming everyday activities in modern times, more people are having less sleep. Some of them spend much time playing video games. There are also those who go out and party, especially during the weekends. Still, there are those who choose the more traditional path of reading books in their beds.
While some of our nightly activities surely expand our knowledge and make us even better versions of ourselves, it is still vital for us to be aware of the toll that a lack of sleep takes on the body. In this article, we present the good things that we miss out on if we continually choose to sleep fewer hours every night, even if it’s for rewarding activities such as reading or doing homework.
Sleep Improves Memory
Many scientists believe that the main function of sleep is to help the body rebuild and recuperate, especially if it has been through a lot of physically draining activities during the day.
But there is actually more to sleep than just body repair. Years of research have uncovered that sleeping helps in the consolidation of memory. Specifically, the hippocampus – that part of the brain that is responsible for memory consolidation – is active at night.
With that, it is wise for any student to really find time to sleep the night before an important exam if they want to remember the things that they’ve studied.
However, some may find it difficult to get some snooze time because of the anxiety that they feel. Some even develop insomnia. Supplements like Kavinace may provide much-needed sleep support to such people.
Getting Enough Sleep Prevents Accident
A lot of car crashes are caused by drivers who suddenly fell asleep – even just for a few seconds – while still on the road. This drowsiness can be because of many factors, and fatigue is undoubtedly one of them. Fortunately, drowsiness and fatigue that cause accidents are addressed by sleeping for the prescribed number of hours each night.
Enough Sleep Promotes Healthy Weight
When we are sleep deprived, the body will react as if it’s under stress. Aside from stimulating the limbs and the mind, this stress response also has an effect that increases appetite. The body starts producing more of a hormone called ghrelin, which is known to stimulate the appetite. The body also starts producing less of the hormone leptin, which has properties that help reduce hunger. The result of this is a person who seems to have an insatiable appetite. This, of course, can cause them to gain weight and eventually become obese.
Given all that, it is evident that getting a good night’s sleep is something that we should really aim for if we are serious about maintaining a healthy weight.
Giving up occasional sleep is OK, but chronic sleep deprivation is serious. It pushes us to miss out on a lot of good things that only sleep can bring. It’s essential to change sleeping habits in such a way that the prescribed number of hours of sleep is achieved each night.
