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The importance of sleep is that not only does sleep help keep your energy steady throughout the day, but it also offers many other benefits.<\/p>\n
Even when you\u2019re spending much more time at home,\u00a0quality sleep<\/a>\u00a0might still fall into the \u201cnice to have\u201d category.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s worth putting higher on the list. Why is sleep important?<\/p>\n Not only does sleep help keep your energy steady throughout the day, but it also offers a surprising range of other benefits.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a look at a few of them.<\/p>\n Numerous\u00a0studies have connected poor sleep to weight gain<\/a>, and shorter sleep has been correlated with obesity.<\/p>\n One study found\u00a0notable changes in body fat<\/a>\u00a0between short-, average-, and long-duration sleepers.<\/p>\n Those under the middle range of 7 to 8 hours were much more likely to experience gradual weight gain, even if they ate roughly the same amount of calories and got as much exercise as the average-duration sleepers.<\/p>\n This happens for several reasons, according to W. Christopher Winter, M.D., president of Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine, and author of \u201cThe Sleep Solution.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n The first is that proper sleep keeps your\u00a0hormones regulated<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 and that includes\u00a0hormones related to hunger, satiety, stress<\/a>, and an overall feeling of wellbeing.<\/p>\n When these get off-kilter, it can have profound effects not just on your eating but also on your metabolism as well.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve struggled with sleep, it\u2019s likely you may have felt some digestive challenges as well, from bloating to\u00a0gas<\/a>.<\/p>\n But digestion is not all that your gut does \u2014 it\u2019s also a key component of your immune system, so better sleep can mean healthier immune function.<\/p>\n One\u00a0study<\/a>\u00a0found that only two consecutive nights of short sleep led to disruption in gut health, setting participants up for potential issues like a higher vulnerability for infection, sluggish energy during the day, less focus at work, and other challenges.<\/p>\n Studies suggest it\u2019s a two-way relationship: Exercise can help you\u00a0sleep better<\/a>, and sleep quality can provide\u00a0advantages for workout performance<\/a>.<\/p>\n In terms of the latter, that\u2019s because your cells and tissues repair themselves as you slumber, and your heart gets necessary maintenance, too.<\/p>\n That can help your next workout be more focused and powerful.<\/p>\n Feel like you\u2019re always in a bad mood? It could be a lack of shuteye, suggests sleep researcher Daniela Tempesta, Ph.D., of the University of L\u2019Aquila in Italy.<\/p>\n In a study published in the\u00a0Journal of Sleep Research,<\/i>\u00a0Tempesta and her colleagues found that just five consecutive nights of shortened sleep resulted in negative mood, decreased alertness, and irritability.<\/p>\n \u201cSleep seems to play an important role in emotional processing, including how we react to different situations,\u201d she says. \u201cThis is the same part of the brain that stores memory as well, so we see some impact on short-term recall, too.\u201d<\/p>\n That you\u2019ve answered your questions about \u201cWhy is sleep important?\u201d here are a couple of ways to make catching some zzz\u2019s even better.<\/p>\n 1. Schedule Sleep<\/strong><\/p>\n With so many advantages, making sleep a priority is crucial, but it\u2019s not always an easy endeavor if you\u2019ve trying to change your habits.<\/p>\n Winter suggests cultivating good \u201csleep hygiene<\/a>,\u201d which means tactics like going to bed and waking up at the same time every day \u2014 even on the weekends, sorry \u2014 and creating a bedtime schedule that helps your brain prep for slumber.<\/p>\n 2. Reduce Screen Time<\/strong><\/p>\n That might mean cutting down on screen time for at least 30 minutes before sleep, doing some deep breathing exercises, or employing\u00a0meditation techniques<\/a>\u00a0like those found in a guided meditation program like\u00a0Unstress<\/a>.<\/p>\n Start with gradual changes, he suggests, and figure out what works best for you.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are plenty of\u00a0sleep strategies<\/a>\u00a0out there, but there\u2019s no one-size-fits-all approach,\u201d he says. \u201cPlay around with what seems to be a good fit. And most of all, just see sleep as the priority it should be.\u201d<\/p>\n From the Beachbody On Demand Blog – 1. Weight Loss or Maintenance<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n2. Gut Health<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n3. Workout Performance<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n4. Better Emotional Health and Memory<\/h2>\n
How to Get Better Sleep<\/h3>\n