Why do we need to sleep? Sleep is required for our body to function properly for a number of reasons. Scientific studies have shown that when you don’t sleep enough, your body can experience substantial changes that can cause many health issues. While you are sleeping, your brain sends signals to your body in order for it to release compounds and hormones that decrease the risk of serious health conditions developing, manage your appetite, maintain your immune system and improve memory. If you lose out on sleep, you can’t make it up and if you sleep too much, it can have a bad impact on your health. Today, we will be taking a look at why 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night is the perfect amount for your body to function and for your overall health.

For Longevity

The average adult should sleep for no more than 7 to 8 hours a night. There has been a lot of time and research put into discovering the right amount of sleep by scientists. Results have shown that people who sleep less than 5-7 hours are around 12% more likely to die prematurely and people who sleep more (over 8-9 hours) have a higher risk of 30%. This death can be from all causes.

Helps Memory

Sleeping the right amount helps you to focus on and strengthens your memory. Research has shown that when you sleep after you learn something new, you are more likely to retain it. Sleep has also been thought to decrease the interference from peripheral events. When people don’t get enough sleep, it can be harder for your brain to receive information because the neurons will be fatigued, you may interpret things differently, your judgement can be impaired, and you won’t remember as much.

Manages Appetite

When you don’t sleep well, your body will need more energy. During the night, the need for calories and the amount your body moves are both reduced. When you are deprived of sleep, your brain releases chemicals that make you hungry. In turn, this could make you consume more and exercise less, which will cause you to gain weight in return.

Immune Function

While you are asleep, cytokines are released by your immune system. Many cytokines help to protect your immune system by reducing inflammation, which includes inflammation caused by an infection. When you don’t sleep enough, these cytokines will be reduced, which increases the risk of you getting sick. Over time, other immune system components, like white blood cells and antibodies, can also decrease when you don’t get enough sleep.

Reduces Disease

As mentioned previously, sleeping the right amount improves the function of your immune system, so it is easy to understand how it reduces the risk of developing chronic disease. Having a good sleeping pattern is just as important as eating healthily and exercising enough.

How to Sleep Right

Building up good sleeping habits is essential for getting the right amount and good quality sleep. You can do this by scheduling your sleep, avoiding stimulants (like caffeine and sugar), exercising enough and on a regular basis, doing things to reduce stress and using apps to help you sleep. The best way to sleep well is to make your bed comfortable. A memory foam mattress is brilliant to make you sleep better and deeper and recover from exercise faster, so you will definitely sleep well on one of these.

Once you get yourself into a good sleeping routine and you do things in the day to improve your sleep quality during the night, you will function more efficiently and you will feel better within yourself. You just need to carry out the right steps to do so.