Why is good sleep so important for health?

Good sleep is essential for our mental and physical health. Sleeping is as important as eating or breathing for our lives. The result of lack of sleep is not only limited to sleepiness, but human cognitive abilities and productivity levels also decrease; In addition, the risk of many mental and physical diseases increases with lack of sleep.

Every healthy person needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep daily. However, the best time to sleep and wake up varies from person to person. Various factors, such as age, work schedule, and sleep patterns, affect this issue. It is also said that sleeping and waking up at a certain time daily will regulate the sleep cycle, lose weight, improve memory, reduce the feeling of anger, reduce inflammation in the body, and strengthen the immune system.

Insufficient sleep can cause many problems, such as stress, depression, and high blood pressure. In addition to the amount of sleep, sleep quality is equally important as it depends on various environmental, mental, and physical factors. But is there a suitable time to sleep and wake up that guarantees the quality of our sleep and health?

Effects and benefits of sleep.

Adequate sleep is essential for maintaining physical and mental health. From a medical and health point of view, sleep is as vital as regular exercise or following a balanced diet. The following factors are some of the countless benefits of a good and stable night’s sleep from the perspective of health professionals.

Increase productivity and concentration.

Many studies were conducted in the early 2000s in which scientists investigated the effects of sleep deprivation. The result of this research was that sleep is directly related to several different brain functions in the human body, including:

• Focus
• Efficiency
• Cognitive ability

A recent study conducted in 2015 showed that children’s sleep patterns can directly affect their behavior and academic performance.

Reduce the risk of weight gain.

The link between weight gain and obesity and short sleep patterns is scientifically proven. Various research conducted over the years has indicated a direct relationship between obesity and improper sleep patterns.

However, the result of a recent study is that there is no relationship between excess weight and lack of sleep. The researchers of this research argue that in many previous studies, other important factors, including the following, have not been considered;

• Drinking alcohol
• Type 2 diabetes
• Level of physical activity
• Level of Education
• Long working hours
• Low mobility in the long term

Lack of sleep can affect a person’s ability or desire to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but there are mixed opinions about its direct link to weight gain.

Sleeping and adjusting the sleeping calorie consumption pattern.

As with the previous point (weight gain), there is evidence that quality sleep can help a person burn fewer calories during the day. One of the studies conducted in the collection of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America shows that sleep pattern directly affects the release of hormones that determine a person’s appetite.

In short, insufficient sleep can harm a person’s energy consumption pattern and appetite and cause problems in his nutritional status.

Better sleep and sports performance.

Adequate sleep can enhance a person’s athletic performance. According to the National Sleep Foundation of the United States, the proper sleep of adults is between 7 and 9 hours a night, and this amount can be increased up to 10 hours for athletes. According to research, sleep is as essential as consuming calories and nutrients for athletes.

One of the reasons for this is that the body grows and repairs itself during sleep. Other benefits include:

• Better performance intensity
• More energy
• Better coordination
• More speed
• Better mental performance

Reducing the risk of heart diseases.

A risk factor for heart disease is high blood pressure. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), getting enough rest at night allows the body to regulate and prevent blood pressure from rising during the day.

Adjusting the quality and quantity of your sleep can reduce the risk of sleep-related diseases such as apnea and improve your heart health.

Improving social and emotional intelligence.

Sleep is directly related to people’s social and emotional intelligence. A person who does not have enough sleep is likely to have difficulty recognizing and understanding other people’s emotions and moods.

In one of the researches, people’s response to emotional stimuli was investigated. The result of this research indicated that the level of emotional empathy in people decreases significantly if they do not have enough sleep.

Prevention of depression.

The relationship between sleep and mental health has been the subject of countless research for a long time. One of the results of this research is that there is a direct relationship between lack of sleep and depression.

In another study, patterns of death by suicide were investigated over ten years. The result was that lack of sleep was one of the influential factors in many of these incidents.

Another study published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry shows that people with sleep disorders such as insomnia are significantly more likely to develop and observe symptoms of depression.

Sleeping and reducing the level of inflammation in the body.

A direct relationship exists between adequate sleep and reducing inflammation in the body. For example, in a study conducted, a direct relationship between lack of sleep and inflammatory bowel diseases was discovered, dramatically affecting people’s digestive systems.

This study showed that lack of sleep can contribute to these diseases, which can aggravate the lack of sleep in a person.

Sleep and strengthen the immune system.

Sleeping helps to repair, restore and improve body function. The immune system is no exception to this relationship. Some research shows that quality and sufficient sleep can help the body fight infections. However, scientists still need to do more research on the mechanism of how sleep affects the immune system.

The best time to sleep.

The age of each person can determine the amount of sleep he needs. In general, when the weather gets dark, the performance of the human body and brain decreases, and when the sun rises, their intensity increases.

Some studies show that the earlier you sleep at night, the better. A survey conducted with the participation of 1,197 Japanese workers showed that those who go to bed late at night are more likely to suffer from depression. However, sleep duration may also play a role in depression, as participants who went to bed later often had less time to sleep.

Another study on sleep patterns showed that people who prefer to sleep later are more prone to repetitive negative thoughts, such as focusing on problems or bad experiences. These recurring negative thoughts harm the amount and quality of a person’s sleep.

It is better first to estimate the average amount of sleep each person needs and then determine the appropriate amount of time to sleep and wake up based on that.

The best time to wake up.

One good way to form a regular sleep schedule is to keep your wake-up time consistent. By setting your alarm clock or phone for a specific time each day, the body will naturally adjust to this time.

The human body and brain naturally react to natural cycles such as sunrise and sunset. These cycles help regulate sleep and wakefulness patterns in humans. For this reason, one of the ideal situations is to wake up at the same time as the sun rises.

However, the quality of sleep and the amount of sleep one gets are equally important. Establishing a consistent routine can help improve sleep quality.

Adequate amount of sleep according to age.

The amount of sleep each person needs differs based on age, affecting their sleep and wake time. The following table shows how many hours of sleep each person needs according to their age:

• 14-17 hours for / 0-3 months, ages
• 11-16 hours for / 4 months to 2 years, ages
• 10-13 hours for / 3-5 years, ages
• 9-12 hours for / 6-13 years, ages
• 8-10 hours for / 14-17 years, ages
• 7-9 hours for / 18-64 years, ages
• 7-8 hours for / 65 years and more, ages

Sleep cycle.

The sleep cycle is a natural mechanism in humans that involves a combination of external conditions such as light, personal behaviors, and lifestyle, as well as internal conditions such as brain wave patterns and individual genetics.

A regular sleep cycle occurs in two distinct states; Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Human sleep changes between these two states several times a night. The body switches between these stages approximately every 90 minutes, and as the number of these cycles increases, the length of NREM stages becomes shorter, and the length of REM stages becomes longer.

Ideally, the body goes through four to five cycles every night. When sleep is at its lightest, waking up at the end of each cycle is the best time to feel more relaxed and rested and start a good day.

An alarm clock, when a person is in one of the deep stages of sleep, may lead to difficulty waking up or feeling tired and less alert after waking up.

These stages vary from person to person, meaning that no specific sleep schedule can be generalized to everyone. Paying attention to how a person feels when recording and how many hours he slept can help identify his sleep cycle and determine how much sleep he gets.

When should we see a doctor?

Although the sleep cycle may differ slightly for different people, the occurrence of specific issues regularly can indicate that you need to see a doctor.

Anyone with trouble falling asleep or staying asleep at night should see a doctor for a checkup. In many cases, a physical problem or disharmony may cause insomnia.

In other situations, a person may get enough sleep but still feel tired every morning. These symptoms can indicate other physical problems, such as obstructive sleep apnea.

A doctor can help a person adjust his sleep schedule by providing appropriate treatment for such problems.

The best time to sleep and wake up is different for each person. Generally, the best time to fall asleep is a few hours after dark, and the best time to wake up is the first few hours after sunrise.

General guidelines suggest that the average adult needs about 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Sleeping and waking up at the same time every day can help to form and strengthen a healthy sleep pattern.

Anyone concerned about their sleep patterns or wakes up feeling inadequately rested is advised to consult a doctor to rule out sleep disorders.