Sleep More and Wake Up to a Better Life

By Jasmine Clark, Live Well Enhance You Contributing Writer

Just one more episode of that show…

Just one more task from your to-do list…

Just five more minutes scrolling Instagram (which turns into ten, which turns into twenty)...

These kinds of things keep us up at night, messing up our sleep. We’ve all done it. The problem is that you may not think it’s much of a problem.

Sleep is nice but it gets in the way of your busy life, so you cut back on sleep hours here and there – less than the 7-9 recommended hours for adults. Then instead of waking up in a relaxing way, you rush around most mornings in a hurry, relying on coffee or energy drinks to get over your grogginess. But that tired feeling catches up with you later.

Let this be your wake-up call to remember that what happens before you wake up matters. Do your circadian rhythm a favor and try to get to sleep at a consistent time each night. When you get 7-9 hours of good quality sleep – more on that later – you’ll see a transformation in your body, your emotions, and your life as a whole. 

Less sickness

Sleep is linked to less disease and a longer life. A study showed that adults who regularly got 7-8.5 hours of sleep had up to three more years of life than those who didn’t. Another study revealed a connection between inflammation and poor sleep. Inflammation can cause a variety of problems such as heart disease and diabetes, so getting enough sleep is crucial to help protect yourself.

Also, your immune system is affected by your sleep. When you don’t get the sleep you need, your immune cells become weaker when trying to fight illness-causing germs. The pandemic made us all more aware of how easily diseases can spread, so you want to put yourself in the best possible position to fight against disease. And that means getting more sleep!

Healthier weight and eating habits

Getting enough sleep helps you develop better eating habits to maintain a healthy weight. We’ve all had times when we’ve craved not-so-nutritious food, and we knew it wasn’t the best choice for our health but we ate it anyway. Annoying cravings happen sometimes, but sleep can make them happen less often.

Sleep helps your body produce more leptin, a hormone that suppresses your appetite to keep those cravings under control. But when you get too little sleep, your body ends up producing less leptin and more ghrelin, a hormone that increases your appetite. This results in you feeling hungrier when you’re awake, eating more food than your body really needs and making it harder to maintain a healthy weight.

More physical energy

Sleep boosts your physical energy and athleticism because it gives your body a much-needed rest. Studies have shown that athletes perform better when they get about eight hours of sleep. The recovery your muscles get during sleep helps them move more powerfully when you’re awake. Plus, you’ll notice better muscle growth and tone.

Exercise is another fundamental part of your health in addition to sleep. The CDC recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Sleep helps you feel invigorated so you can exercise, and exercise helps you sleep better. It’s a win-win!

Clearer skin

Your skin will thank you if you get 7-9 hours of sleep regularly. Sleep is an important time for your skin to repair itself. Healthline explains, “During sleep, your skin’s blood flow increases, and the organ rebuilds its collagen and repairs damage from UV exposure, reducing wrinkles and age spots.”

If you have a skincare routine involving several products but you’re not getting enough sleep, you’re missing a big part of your skincare routine. It’s not that you should stop using those products – they can definitely be helpful. But those products will work much better if you get better sleep. So if you’d like fewer wrinkles and smooth, clear skin, sleep is your friend.

Reduced stress and better mental health

Sleep gives you a better ability to regulate your emotions. That means you’ll less often be moody and irritated and down in the dumps. And when life throws stressful events your way, you’ll be able to calm down instead of getting angry or panicked. That’s why sleep is one of the best things you can do to lower stress.

Sleep has an enormous impact on your mental health. Not getting enough sleep can make you more likely to have symptoms of anxiety and depression. Any kind of mental health condition you may have can be made worse by a lack of sleep. So make sure you get more sleep so you can protect your mental health.

Enhanced brainpower and creativity

Sleep makes you smarter! If you want to be able to think more clearly, solve problems faster, and store more things in your memory, sleep more. You’ll have enhanced thinking abilities, helping you perform better at work and think through all kinds of situations in life.

Plus, you’ll have a more vibrant and creative brain with more sleep. Sleep improves your brain’s ability to reorganize and restructure thoughts. One study showed that sleep caused participants to have “creative sparks” in their brain, giving them more ideas for solving a problem. If you often find yourself in creative ruts and you’ve run out of ideas, sleep can help with that.

How to improve your sleep

Getting 7-9 hours of sleep is vital for your health, so you may have to rearrange your schedule to fit in enough sleep time. If that means you have to sometimes put things off until the next day, so be it. Don’t worry – with more sleep, you’ll have more energy to be productive the next day.

The quality of your sleep matters too, not just the quantity. Developing your own bedtime ritual can help you fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply. Buy items that can help you sleep better, such as a mattress topper, eye mask, fluffy pillow, oil diffuser, more comfortable sleepwear, etc. Sleep is a fundamental part of your health, so it’s well worth investing in.

And be sure not to miss this Stress Free SOULutions episode with Devin Burke, founder of Sleep Science Academy. Devin has helped many people with complicated sleep issues start getting the good quality sleep they need. He has truly transformed lives, and now he’s giving you amazing sleep tips in this episode. Listen now and sleep beautifully tonight!

Jasmine Clark is a freelance writer from North Carolina. She enjoys writing about topics such as stress relief and positive thinking. She likes to encourage others to find ways to calm down and relax. In her spare time, she loves to write fiction stories and watch TV and YouTube. You can find her on Instagram @cozysachi.