It is commonly known that when one has had a good night’s sleep you generally wake feeling more invigorated and in a better mood than usual. So just imagine how great you’d feel and in how many ways you might perform better in every area of your life if you had a good night’s sleep every night. Why is this? Well simply because there are many great health benefits of good, regular sleep!
In this article, we are going to point to just a few of the primary ones and when you see what a huge impact good sleep has on your overall health you may be more inclined to prioritise a regular sleeping pattern on a quality mattress as a part of your entire wellness regime…
Mood and Mental Health
We already alluded to how great you feel when you have just one good night’s sleep, but when you regularly sleep well it can greatly enhance both your mood and your mental health in general, making you better able to learn, concentrate and perform optimally throughout your day.
How does this work? Well, sleep has been linked to enhanced energy levels as well as memory and cognitive function. As the USA Sleep Foundation puts it ‘’the brain can grow, reorganize, restructure, and make new neural connections which help individuals learn new information and form memories during sleep. i.e. they have better problem-solving and decision-making skills.’’ Most importantly, quality sleep reduces anxiety, depression, and other issues related to stress!
Heart and Physical Health
Great sleep promotes improved heart health and the body’s production of growth hormones which is vital to improved general physical function. During sleep your heart rate slows thereby lowering blood pressure and allowing the heart and vascular system to rest.
Regarding growth and physical health, it is while sleeping that the body produces the most growth hormones which contribute to muscular growth and explains why top athletes prefer at least 8 hours of sleep per night. These growth hormones are not only essential to the physical development of children, but also repair tissues and cells in people of all ages.
Blood Sugar and Weight
The amount of time you sleep relates to the production of the hormone insulin too, which means that it helps blood sugar, or glucose, enter the body’s cells. The cells then use glucose as energy. Good sleep (at least 7hrs per night) ensures blood sugar is regulated in the body.
Yes, sleep can affect your weight too! According to the sleep foundation ‘’During sleep, the body naturally produces more of an appetite suppressor, called leptin, while reducing the production of the appetite stimulant ghrelin.’’ This ghrelin increases and leptin decreases when one doesn’t get enough sleep – so sleep to lose weight too!
The best way to get great sleep
We have written many great articles on how to get better and more regular sleep and you can find them here – Blogs – Truform (truformbedding.co.za). One thing we can’t say enough though is the vital importance of sleeping on a great mattress. Proper postural support and extra comfort always make getting quality sleep so much easier.
Test a Truform today at a store near you, or contact us directly to talk about your specific mattress requirements – and watch this space for more on the great health benefits of good, regular sleep – and how you can get it!