14 key benefits
there is not one biological function in your body that doesn’t benefit from sleep
sleep helps to:
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build up your immune, nervous, skeletal, and muscular systems
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balance your brainwaves, improving your emotional and neurological health
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balance your nervous system
during sleep, synaptic homeostasis removes waste products from your brain
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repair your body
during sleep your cells produce more protein
protein molecules are essential for the functioning of every cell in the body
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improve your attention and concentration
sleep stimulates the executive functioning of your brain leading to improvements in cognitive performance, helping you to think clearly, remember information, and make decisions
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improve your memory
your brain processes your day, linking events, emotions and sensory input; and your memories are consolidated
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keep your heart healthy
lack of sleep has been linked to high blood pressure and raised cholesterol
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reduce stress
sleep and stress have a two way relationship
whilst stress can disrupt sleep patterns, sleep allows the body to balance cortisol levels which helps reduce the effects of stress
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reduce inflammation
a regular sleep pattern reinforces a healthy circadian rhythm
too little or too much sleep triggers inflammation
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reduce the risk of cancer
the sleep hormone melatonin can suppress the growth of tumours
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improve your mood and emotional well‑being
even small periods of lack of sleep can chip away at your happiness
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maintain a healthy weight
sleep stimulates a healthy balance of the “hunger hormones” ghrelin and leptin
lack of sleep causes a spike in ghrelin and a fall in leptin stimulating hunger
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maintain good relationships
there is a direct relationship between sleep, compassion and empathy
even a small lack of sleep has a negative impact on your feelings of compassion and empathy towards others
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taking a nap is physiologically and psychologically beneficial
napping can help refresh the mind, improve overall alertness, boost mood, increase productivity, reduce stress, reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol and improve memory performance