The Challenge: The lack of sleep can affect one’s overall health condition and productivity.
The Science: During sleep, the body releases compounds that help fight diseases and boost memory. The Solution: Spend at least 7 hours of sleep to live a healthier life.
In this world full of busy people and full of tasks to finish, it is undeniable that each person tends to overvalue his or her work more than his or her health. It may not be noticeable at first, but sooner or later, one will still end up realizing that we are already doing it.
We see our work, studies, and other activities as the things that need more of our attention and that we must finish at the end of the day. There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing your job and extra responsibilities that go with it.
However, most of the time, we tend to forget to take short breaks or worst, a good night sleep. This practice becomes a routine especially for those people with a lot of unfinished tasks at work. They bring their loads of work to their homes and try to finish them up.
It is undeniable that most of us are guilty of this practice, but we do not make a big deal out of it because we think it is just us being the hard working office worker we need to be, no matter how much we want to rest and lie in bed already.
Most of us think that this is a good example of a habit of anyone who shows intense dedication and strives for productivity. However, science shows that getting a good rest and enough sleep can significantly affect one’s overall productivity all throughout the day.
To find out more about the science of sleep and why it is a vital process that the body needs, read on below and discover the different benefits of a good sleep, how can it impact one’s overall health and daily productivity.
Decrease Risk of Health Diseases
During sleep, the immune system discharges large groups of proteins that help the body fight diseases. These compounds are called cytokines. Cytokines are the ones that protect the body from infection and inflammation.
According to a 2013 study with participants who experience long-term sleep deprivation and limited sleep deprivation which corresponds to four to five hours of sleep per night in a week, lack of sleep negatively affects the immune system. There was also an increase in the number of inflammatory compounds inside a person’s body. These compounds link to the disease called Asthma and also some allergies.
A further study by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers the lack of sleep as a public health problem and one of the factors that contribute to major health complications like diabetes, obesity, heart diseases, and obstructive sleep apnea.
A few hours of lack of sleep can lead to chronic sleep deprivation which eventually starts a sickly lifestyle.
Sharpen Memory
More than an individual’s skills and talents, focus and memory retention are also vital factors for an individual’s overall productivity and performance.
According to research, sleep is an important process that helps boost focus and enhance memory retention. Sleep processes which are the rapid eye movement and slow-wave sleep assist in the course of creating long-term memories, creative thinking, and more of memory processing. That is why spending seven to eight hours of sleep is critical so that one can be able to encounter all of the sleep processes.
Get The Ideal Hours of Sleep
To get the number of hours you need for sleeping, set an ideal time when it is more likely to establish a regular schedule of sleeping hours that is applicable in the long run. Exert more effort to finish tasks on time and manage responsibilities well so that the sleeping schedule will not be affected.
Avoid stimulants like caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, and nicotine at least four hours before sleep. Some may experience their body feeling sleepy for a certain period of the night, but it will eventually disrupt the process of sleeping later on.
Comfort in sleeping is also one of the main factors that let any individual enjoy his rest and achieve a refreshed mind after a tiring day. Have a comfortable bed with a mattress, which you can get on some reputable sites like Focus On Furniture, that has a cooling effect and that gives the shape and support the body needs.
There are also mobile applications that can guide users to achieve their scheduled sleeping hours. Use user-friendly apps that offer practical sleeping habits and that boost restful sleep.
Takeaway
We may reward ourselves with a great feeling after we finally finish a piece of work and remember all the sleepless nights that came with it are now paid off. However, we must not neglect the fact that we did all that because our bodies continued to endure the weight of days we spent without getting enough rest. After all, the greatest wealth one can have is an excellent health.
Author Bio
Zachary McGavin is a blogger and a reader by heart. He is an interior designing student. He loves spending his spare time drawing sketches of different kinds of furniture. Zach lives in the USA with his family and two cute puppies.
