The Importance of Proper Sleep

August 22, 2018 By: Joe Aben Share This Post: Print:

When trying to achieve better health, diet and exercise are obvious areas to work on. Too often, though, people neglect the importance of sleep when it comes to health. The health benefits of sleep are many, and unlike diet and exercise, sleeping is easy. Although some people do struggle to get to sleep, more often people simply do not make enough time for it, not realizing how numerous sleep health benefits are. Here are several important reasons why sleep is important.

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1. Sleep-Weight Link

Believe it or not, not getting enough sleep can make you gain weight. In fact, there is a very strong correlation between lack of sleep and obesity. One notable study found that kids with a short sleep duration were close to 90 percent more likely to become obese than their counterparts who got adequate sleep.

Why does this happen? One reason is that sleep is when your brain produces a hormone called leptin, which controls your appetite. People who do not get enough sleep do not have adequate leptin in their system, and may feel hungry and eat when they do not need to. A simpler reason is that you are much more likely to eat when you are awake than when you are asleep.

2. Good Sleep Can Improve Focus, Concentration, Productivity and Athletic Performance

Sleep is when your brain and body restore themselves. Failing to sleep enough means your brain is not getting as much oxygen as it needs and is not getting the chance to repair and strengthen itself. When you have enough sleep, your mind and muscles simply respond better.

3. Sleep and Cardiovascular Disease

Multiple studies show that those who are not getting adequate sleep are at much greater risk of heart disease and stroke than those who get a good night’s sleep regularly. Sleep restriction has also been linked to reduced insulin sensitivity and diabetes risk.

4. Sleep and Your Immune System

You probably already realize this, but when you deprive yourself of sleep, you make yourself much more vulnerable to colds and flu. In one study, those who slept less than seven hours a night were nearly three times as likely to get sick than those who got more sleep.

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It should be clear that making time to get enough sleep is extremely important for your health, but it’s not the only factor. At Excellence in Fitness, we offer an approach that takes care of your whole body. We assign you a personal trainer who will customize a fitness plan to your specific needs and abilities.

To see how it all works, try a free consultation. Just fill out our simple form online and submit it today, and we’ll be in touch right away to schedule a time to meet and show you all the fitness benefits we can offer.

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