Why you should sleep more
Five benefits of getting more rest
By Poch Eulalia
At A Glance
- Sleep is my lover now, my forgetting, my opiate, my oblivion. — Audrey Niffenegger, <i>The Time Traveler's Wife</i>
When was the last time you had a full night’s rest? We often get lost in the daily grind, leaving little time to recuperate our bodies. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t allot more time for rest when we can. After all, during sleep, our body repairs itself as it restores energy. Here are five reasons you ought to sleep more when you can.
Better brain function
Quality sleep is integral to being able to function properly throughout the day. As we sleep, our brain clears toxins that accumulate during our conscious hours. It also replenishes our body’s cells, giving us the energy we need to be active in the day. By allotting more time to rest, we are maximizing the potential of our cognitive abilities.
Life feels more gleeful
How many of you feel cranky in the morning, warning others not to interact with you unless you’ve had that morning cup of joe? Getting more rest helps the body destress and relax itself more. Whereas those who lack sleep tend to be more irritable, are prone to mood swings, and have less emotional resiliency.
Harder, better, faster, stronger
As mentioned earlier, the body repairs itself when we sleep. Hence, having the proper amount of rest reduces the likeliness of getting sick. It also helps keep us more alert in the morning, lessening that droopy and energetic feeling those lacking rest might feel. Another added bonus is it can help improve our immune system, keeping us safe from any lurking diseases.
Better skin health
To stay beautiful, quality sleep is of utmost importance. This is due to the fact that sleeping can affect factors in our body like hormone regulation, cravings, and stress levels.When our hormones and stress levels are in disarray, our skin deteriorates as acne and wrinkles start to break out. Cravings can lead to overeating, and in turn result in excessive weight gain.
Letting our mind escape to dream worlds
Perhaps the best part of sleeping is the chance of our minds wandering and giving us dreams. When we dream, we are led to another life. We experience new things and feel different sensations take over our bodies. To dream is to give the spice of life, as when we wake we remember all the beautiful memories our unconscious self gave us. Even nightmares, as terrifying as they can be, give us relief as we wake up and realize it was all but a dream. For creatives, it fuels our art and serves as inspiration to our works.