For more than just a few reasons, your body is naturally programmed to allow alternating periods of activity, rest, and sleep. For the healthy functioning of the human body, sleep is as important as diet and exercise and this is even more important for footballers because engage in extreme physical exercise daily.
However, most people tend to get so caught up in the hustles and bustles of life; that they tend to overlook the importance of getting quality sleep.
For starters, it is during sleep that your body gets a chance to rejuvenate in preparation for the next day. If you ask medical experts, they’ll insist on ensuring you get at least 6-10 hours of sleep each day.
But why is a good night’s sleep so important? Here are 4 reasons to get a good night of sleep every day.
- Sleep is good for your physical health
Studies indicate that individuals who often get inadequate or poor to low-quality sleep stand a higher risk of struggling with weight issues. As a matter of fact, poor sleep is a common risk factor for obesity. Additionally, other studies have shown that getting enough quality sleep can be helpful in increasing an individual’s motivation for exercise as well as their testosterone levels, athletic performance. As long as you don’t overdo it, sleep can be an important ingredient in improving your physical health and fitness levels combined with other things such as eating right and exercising regularly.
- It is good for your heart health
The heart is arguably the most important organ in the body. It pumps blood throughout the rest of the body parts, supplying them with oxygen and important nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, water, food nutrients, and other biochemical substances that your body cannot do without. Studies have shown that poor sleep increases an individual’s risk of suffering from certain chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, and hypertension.
- Sleep is good for your mental and emotional health
If you’ve ever tried to read for a test or concentrate in class when sleepy, you’ll agree to it that sleep affects cognition, focus, and concentration. When you’re deprived of sleep, it can be really difficult to concentrate. Additionally, the lack of adequate sleep tends to increase the levels of stress hormone (cortisol) in circulation. On the flip-side of the coin, many studies have shown that quality sleep can improve not only a person’s mental performance (cognition, creativity, memory, and focus) but also their mood and emotional stability. No wonder mental and emotional health issues such as stress and depression are strongly associated with poor sleep. For these reasons, quality sleep can be helpful in improving your mental and emotional health.
- It can reduce your risk of catching type-2 diabetes
Diabetes is among the deadliest diseases on the planet. Poor sleep has also been associated with the increased risk exposure to diabetes type 2. This is based on the fact that glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity can be affected by deprivation. Getting enough quality sleep can help reduce this risk.
From the above, the importance of having a good night’s sleep is evident. However, how comfortable, supportive, and gentle your mattress, pillows, and beddings are will also affect your sleep. And there’s no point in sleeping for 10 hours, only to wake up with a crazy backache or neck pain. In this case, you may want to take a gander at this mattress buying guide to improve your sleep.