Lower Body Weight
Poor sleep is significantly related with gaining weight. People with a short duration of sleep tend to weigh much more than those who get sufficient sleep. One of the greatest risk factors for obesity is short sleep duration.
Children and adults with short sleep durations were 89% and 55% more likely to develop obesity, respectively, in one thorough review study. Numerous variables, including hormones and motivation to exercise, are believed to mediate the effect of sleep on weight gain.
Improve concentration and productivity
Sleep is significant for different aspects of brain function. This involves cognition, concentration, performance and productivity. All of these are impacted negatively by sleep deprivation.
A research study on medical interns offers a good example. Interns made 36 percent more serious medical errors on a traditional schedule with extended work hours of more than 24 hours than interns on a schedule that allowed more sleep.
It has been shown that good sleep improves problem-solving abilities and improves memory performance for both children and adults.
Improves Athletic Performance
It has been demonstrated that sleep improves athletic performance. Longer sleep was shown to significantly improve speed, accuracy, reaction times, and mental well-being in a study on basketball players. Less sleep duration in older women has also been linked to poor exercise performance and functional limitation.
A study of more than 2,800 women found that poor sleep was associated with slower walking, reduced grip strength and greater difficulty performing independent activities.
Decreases Risk of Heart Disease
The quality and duration of sleep can have a major impact on many risk factors for health. These would be the factors, including heart disease, that are believed to drive chronic diseases. A review of 15 studies found that individuals who do not get enough sleep are at a much greater risk of heart disease or stroke than those who sleep 7-8 hours a night.
Linked to depression
Mental health problems are strongly linked to poor sleep quality and sleeping disorders such as depression. It has been estimated that 90% of people with depression complain about the quality of their sleep. Poor sleep is even linked to an increased risk of suicidal death.
There are also significantly higher rates of depression among those with sleeping disorders such as insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea than those without.
Helps with Inflammation
It is known that sleep loss activates undesirable inflammation and cell damage markers. In disorders known as inflammatory bowel diseases, poor sleep has been strongly linked to long-term inflammation of the digestive tract.
One study found that sleep-deprived individuals with Crohn’s disease were twice as likely as patients who slept well to relapse. Sleep evaluation is even recommended by researchers to help predict results in people with long-term inflammatory problems.
