Personally I need, on average, 7.5 hours sleep a night in order to function; sometimes it’s more and sometimes it’s less. Regardless of the circumstance, be it a holiday or work, I rarely let anything get in the way of my shut eye. . Lack of sleep can have seriously adverse effects on our bodies, from weight gain to heart disease; which is why I am always eager to present  guest posts on the importance of sleep.

If you didn’t get enough sleep last night; tonight, after reading this article, I’m sure you will.

Enjoy!

Good Sleep For Health: Why Shut Eye can Help Expand Longevity, Heal Internally

College aged women who are all too familiar with “all-night” study sessions are more than aware how lack of sleep can take a negative toll on the body—it can interfere with cognitive thinking as well as prematurely speed up the aging process. But aside from turning you into a zombie in the mornings, sleep deprivation can be substantially detrimental to your overall health.  Even if you manage to get 6 hours of a sleep each night you’re still at risk of jeopardizing your health—experts say adult women must get at least 8 hours of sleep each night to fully recharge the body and protect you from experiencing any of these  health aliments below:

A Weakened Immune System

Researchers from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine discovered that a lack of sleep can severely make you vulnerable to colds, flus, and other diseases such as cancer. That’s because during your sleep, your body regenerates its defense system and creates more “killer cells” that ward bacteria and other bad-for-you pathogens.  To formulate their conclusions, researchers examined the bacteria growth in sleep deprived field mice. The number of bacteria present in the sleep deprived lab rats from the sample that received good sleep was substantially higher.

Increases Chances of Cardio Vascular Diseases 

A lack of sleep can also increase your chances of obtaining various cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks. New research even suggests that those who get less than 8 hours of sleep a night are 4.5 times more likely to suffering from a stroke than their well-rested counterparts—no matter if she’s young and healthy. This is because researchers say that sleep helps us stop the formation of cortisol—the stress hormone that causes inflammation and raises blood pressure. Inflammation and an increase in blood pressure is unfortunately what causes most cardiovascular diseases. Sleep, on the other hand, can help control your cortisol levels.

Increases Chances of Weight Gain

Last but not least, a lack of sleep may also cause you pack on the pounds. That’s because sleep helps us regulate how our body stores and processes carbohydrates. A lack of sleep can also affect our hormones levels which may make us hungrier throughout the day which can cause the weight gain.

While it’s proven that sleep does your body good, some individuals just have trouble when it comes to hitting the hay. To improve your sleep patterns make sure to develop a nightly routine—such as showering, washing your face, and brushing your teeth— in the same order every day. This will help send signals to your brain that it’s time for bed. You also want to make sure that you “power down” before bed. Research shows that internet and TV use right before bed can make it difficult for you to go to sleep since the “blue light” in electronics makes you more alert.
Author Bio
Lauren Bailey is a freelance blogger who loves giving online education advice about various programs. She also enjoys writing about lifestyle and health. She welcomes your comments and questions via email at blauren99@gmail.com.