Benefits of Enough Sleep for Body Health
Sleep is one of the most important activities for the health of the body. For this reason, understanding the importance of sleep is very important so that our physical and mental health is always maintained.
Here are the rules for getting enough sleep:
To get the maximum benefits of adequate rest above, make sure to sleep according to the recommended number of hours.
Here are the rules of good sleep time according to the National Sleep Foundation according to age groups:
- Newborns (0-3 months): 14-17 hours daily
- Infants (4-11 months): 12-15 hours daily.
- Toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours daily.
- Preschool (3-5 years): 10-13 hours daily.
- School-age (6-13 years): 9-11 hours daily.
- Young adults (18-25 years): 7-9 hours daily.
- Adults (26-64 years): 7-9 hours daily.
- Elderly (65 years and over): 7-8 hours daily.
What are the health benefits of getting enough sleep?
The body has a standard proportion of time in daily activities, including our sleep activities. Most people choose to sleep late or stay up late, thus underestimating the benefits of regular sleep. In fact, if we often lack sleep at night, we can find it difficult to move the next day.
The body cannot carry out its various functions properly, so it has the potential to increase the risk of various diseases. For that, here are some health benefits if we sleep enough.
1. Boost the immune system
The first is to boost the immune system. This is because when we sleep, the body's immune system can work optimally in producing antibodies.
Antibodies are chemical compounds that can help fight bacteria and viruses in the body. In fact, certain types of antibodies exist that boost the immune system to make it more effective in fighting disease.
In addition to increasing immunity, the function of getting enough sleep can also reduce the risk of inflammation in the body. Thus, the risk of the emergence of various diseases can be reduced.
2. Reduce stress
The benefits of rest for health are also able to relax the mind and body. If we lack sleep, the body will release the stress hormone or cortisol.
Stress can cause an overreaction to something and reduce productivity while studying or working. Sometimes we too can make decisions impulsively or in a hurry.
3. Strengthen memory
During our activities, we may learn things or absorb new information. During sleep, the brain will sort through all the information that has been learned.
The brain will also actively strengthen memory and practice previously learned abilities while still on the move. The benefits of regular sleep for seven to eight hours can make you experience all stages of sleep so that it launches the process of remembering and creative thinking.
4. Increase concentration and productivity
Adequate sleep turns out to play an important role in the process of learning and thinking. Sleep has also been shown to improve problem-solving skills and improve memory performance in both children and adults.
If you often don't get enough sleep, your cognitive abilities can be damaged over time. This includes levels of alertness, concentration, reasoning, and problem-solving skills.
5. Control your weight and appetite
Going to bed early will prevent your body from eating unhealthy foods or snacks, such as cookies or chips.
A study published in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care proves that people who don't get enough sleep every night are more at risk of being overweight or obese.
This is most likely caused by an imbalance of hormones that regulate hunger and satiety in the body, namely the hormones ghrelin and leptin.
During sleep, leptin levels in the body will decrease, thereby stimulating satiety signals to the brain. When sleep is reduced, the brain will reduce levels of the hormone leptin and increase ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates hunger signals to the brain. These hormonal changes can make us want to overeat at night.
6. Regulate metabolism and blood sugar levels
Another benefit of getting enough sleep is to regulate the body's metabolism. If the body is sleep deprived, the risk of health conditions related to metabolism, such as spikes in blood sugar, can increase. For friends who already have a history of diabetes, the risk of getting this disease may occur.
7. Improve mood (mood)
The benefits of getting enough sleep can actually help improve mood. Resting at night as needed can make us wake up more refreshed and feeling happy.
8. Maintain heart health
The benefits of getting enough rest at night can help maintain heart health. This is because, during sleep, blood pressure will decrease so that the heart and blood vessels can rest. Not only that, during sleep the body will release hormones that can nourish the heart.
If you don't get enough sleep at night, your risk of cardiovascular disease can increase over time. This condition can be a serious problem if you already have a history of heart disease.
9. Extend the life
Did you know that adequate sleep duration and quality play an important role in prolonging life? Yes, the less time you sleep at night, the greater the risk of dying prematurely.
In addition, reducing sleep time to five hours or less can increase the risk of premature death. That means, the benefits of regular sleep can extend a person's life.
10. Healthy skin
The benefits of getting enough rest at night also touch the healthy side of the skin. Because when we sleep, the body will produce new and fresh collagen. Collagen is a protein that will keep the skin firm, supple, and youthful.
If you don't get enough sleep, the collagen and hyaluronic acid in your skin will break down. In fact, these two components play an important role so that the skin can be shiny, supple, and bright.
If we often sleep for five hours or less, the signs of aging, including fine lines and dark circles under the eyes will appear more quickly.
11. Increase sexual arousal
Experts believe, lack of sleep causes a decrease in libido while reducing the desire to have sex.
This may occur due to drowsiness and drained energy due to lack of sleep at night.