4 Reasons Why Sleep Is Important And 3 Tricks To Get Better Sleep

Sleep is seen by many people as a necessary task that steals time from doing the things we enjoy. Although this is not true for everyone, there is a large group of people, specifically those type A high achievers that sacrifice sleep in order to “push” a little bit harder for that promotion or big account at work

While there is something to be said about the work ethic and drive of that type of individual, odds are they do not understand the detrimental effects this attitude towards sleep has on their bodies long term. Staying up past the point of mental fatigue and physical exhaustion should not be viewed as a badge of honor or seen as something that should be celebrated in the business world.

1. Memory. Through a process called consolidation, our minds strengthen memories and solidify new skills we learn throughout our day. Many people think that our brains “turn off” when we sleep but research has proven this to be far from the truth. A lot more than dreaming is going on when we sleep. If you’re trying to learn a new skill or just want to have a better recall as you age, sleep should be one of your top priorities.
2. Decrease Inflammation. Inflammation has been strongly linked to many of the prominent degenerative diseases our society is plagued with today. Diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease have all been linked to higher amounts of inflammation in the body. While we sleep, our bodies heal the damage that we caused during the day. The more sleep we get, the lower our overall inflammation should be. We can also take it a step further and clean up our diets to reduce the amount of inflammation that is present before we lay down to go to sleep.
3. Increase Life Span. Studies have shown that people who don’t sleep enough tend to die sooner than those who get adequate sleep. Of course, many external factors outside of sleep are at play here but making sure to get adequate, efficient sleep may help extend your life span longer than it would be if sleep quantity and quality was neglected.
4. Lose Weight. Getting adequate sleep can also help the body lose a little bit of weight. Metabolism and sleep are both controlled by the same area in the brain. This is one of the reasons many people have trouble with late night snacking. When our bodies release hormones to let us know it’s time to sleep, we get hungry because those same hormones play a role in appetite levels. Sleep also helps reduce our stress levels by reducing the amount of cortisol in our blood stream. Cortisol plays a very significant role in weight management and lower cortisol levels may help you lose a few extra pounds.

So now that you see that sleep plays an absolute crucial part in our health, how can you improve your sleep? Below are 3 ways to induce sleep and get a more restful nights sleep

1. Turn Off Those Screens. There is no doubt technology has increased our production and effectiveness as a species for the greater. We are able to talk to people on the other side of the world through computers and phones and watch our favorite shows anytime we want. Our ancestors would not even be able to comprehend the capabilities computers have provided. These technological miracles don’t come without some downsides however. Screens emit blue light which research has shown to suppress melatonin production. Melatonin is a hormone that plays a vital role in helping us fall asleep and get more restful sleep. Try to turn those screens off two hours before you want to fall asleep and read a book under a low, yellow light. (Note: LED and fluorescent bulbs also emit harmful blue light) 
2. Supplementation. Unfortunately, there are some days screens and other stressors are just unavoidable. While supplementation shouldn’t replace natural methods of getting good sleep, it can certainly help when life gets a little too crazy. I like to supplement with melatonin. I take 3 mg on nights I know I will have a tough time getting quality sleep. Other supplements like valerian root and chamomile can be taken to help induce relaxation before bed. These are best taken in tea form in my opinion, but can also be taken in pill form.
3. Exercise. Exercise has many great benefits. One of those benefits is improved sleep. This one is obvious. If you exert yourself more, you will be more tired and sleep better. Not so fast though…The time of day that you exercise may affect your sleep quality. It is best to exercise earlier in the day away from your bedtime. Studies show that some people’s sleep is worsened when they workout too close to bedtime. Try to exercise no less than 3 hours before bed and you should be fine.So now that you know some of the benefits of sleep and some tricks to get better sleep, I hope that you will make sleep a bigger priority in your life if it isn’t one already. Comment below if you have some sleep tips not listed above and be sure to share this post with someone who can use it!