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Why a Good Night’s Sleep Is Important for Your Health

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How to Improve Your Sleep

Sleep is important due to the impact it has on your overall health. Appropriate sleep is needed for mental focus and memory, managing stress, maintaining proper body weight, boosting the immune system, and a host of other wellness needs. Some studies suggest sleep can help to prevent illness, such as diabetes or obesity .

Adults aged 18 to 60 years should get at least seven hours of sleep each night in order to achieve the benefits of sleep. If not, you run the risk of becoming sleep-deprived .

This article explains the role of sleep in overall health and offers tips on how to improve your sleep. Research on sleep and sleep cycles has elevated awareness about sleep hygiene (healthy sleep habits) and the quality of sleep.

 Illustration by Emily Roberts for Verywell Health

Sleep Is Restorative

When you sleep, you allow your body to repair and rebuild. During this time, the body is able to clear debris from the lymphatic system, which boosts the immune system.

While you sleep, there are many important processes that happen, including:

• Muscle repair
• Protein synthesis
• Tissue growth
• Hormone release

Sleep Reduces Stress

Sleep is a powerful stress reliever. It improves concentration, regulates mood, and sharpens judgment and decision-making. A lack of sleep not only reduces mental clarity but the ability to cope with stressful situations.

This is due, in part, to changes in cortisol levels. Typically, your cortisol levels fall in the evening hours, as one element of the body’s natural preparation for sleep. When sleep is lost, cortisol levels remain high and interfere with the release of melatonin, a hormone that is essential for the regulation of sleep-wake cycles.

Some studies suggest these changes could even be used to evaluate depression in people with bipolar disorder. Other studies demonstrate a link between sleep, chronic stress, and depression with an eye on heart rate changes.

Sleep Improves Your Memory

The link between sleep and memory processing is well established. Sleep serves as an opportunity for the mind to process all the stimuli taken in while awake. It triggers changes in the brain that strengthen neural connections helping us to form memories.

Sleep quality is important when learning new information and using memory. Numerous research studies find that electrophysiological, neurochemical, and genetic mechanisms that take place during the slow-wave sleep stage of sleep are key.

Sleep Helps You Maintain a Healthy Body Weight

When you are sleep deprived, your body alters the hormones that regulate hunger and appetite. These hormones include:

• Leptin: This hormone suppresses appetite and encourages the body to expend energy.
• Ghrelin: This hormone triggers feelings of hunger.

Both of these hormones are thrown off when you are short on sleep—leptin goes down and ghrelin goes up. Obstructive sleep apnea , a serious sleep disorder, is linked with obesity as well.

Sleep and Appetite

Sleep deprivation can activate the endocannabinoid (eCB) system in the brain (the same areas activated by marijuana) which increases hunger and appetite. Stimulating the eCB reward system makes you more likely to crave junk food.  You are also more likely to make these unhealthy lifestyle choices when you are tired. If that's often the case, it can lead to weight gain or diabetes over time.  

Sleep May Prevent Illnesses

Sleep deprivation can have very detrimental health impacts and has been linked to chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Here are some of the health conditions in which it may play a role.

Respiratory Illness and Infection

Lack of sleep makes you more vulnerable to respiratory illness and infection. A study of more than 600,000 people found that insomnia was a contributing cause when catching a cold or the flu , as well as a factor in how severe the infection became.

Obstructive sleep apnea, a common sleep disturbance, is linked with a number of cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) diseases. For example, 40% to 60% of people experiencing symptomatic heart failure also are diagnosed with sleep-disordered breathing.

Other heart conditions linked with sleep apnea include:

• Coronary artery disease
• Pulmonary hypertension
• High blood pressure
• Heart arrhythmias

There's no direct evidence to suggest that sleep quantity or quality affects the risk of cancer, although studies have looked at the role of sleep in developing breast cancer , lung cancer , and more.

For example, research on lung cancer suggests a relationship between lack of sleep and adenocarcinoma risk, but more research on sleep traits (how long you sleep, whether you take naps) is needed.

Studies also are exploring the role of sleep in those already diagnosed with cancer, especially because difficulty sleeping affects up to 95% of people receiving cancer treatment and care. Sleep deprivation may affect the body's ability to fight cancer and lead to a poor prognosis, which was the conclusion of researchers focused on liver cancer .

A number of studies have shown that sleep deprivation leads to reduced glucose tolerance and impaired insulin sensitivity in humans. Additional studies suggest the risk of type 2 diabetes rises due to inadequate sleep, with seven or eight hours considered the optimal amount.

Researchers also think the timing of sleep may have impacts, too. Disruptions in circadian rhythm, with many people working at night or otherwise "living against the clock" of natural sleep cycles, also have impacts. Sleep disruption appears to affect metabolism and related diseases.

Neurodegenerative Disease

Sleep plays a key role in how your body produces cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), what it's composed of, and how the CSF is distributed in your brain and spinal cord. A number of studies have looked at how components in CSF, like amyloid-beta levels, might be linked to Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

The research results are mixed, but there is evidence to suggest that sleep patterns affect levels of amyloid-beta, orexin, tau proteins, interleukin 8 (IL-8), and other components. This may influence the development of Lewy body dementia, Parkinson's, or Alzheimer's disease, or it may contribute to sleep disruptions that are common in people living with these disorders.

Researchers also are investigating the role of CSF, sleep, and the early development of autism .

Sleep Is Important for Your Mental Health

Evidence suggests lack of sleep contributes to the formation of new mental health problems and to the maintenance of existing ones, but the magnitude of its effect is difficult to estimate and may be different across mental health conditions.

Sleep problems are very common in those with mental illness. In fact, disrupted sleep is commonly seen as both a symptom and consequence of mental health disorders, although sleep deprivation is rarely treated as the cause of mental health conditions.

The most common sleep problem associated with poor mental health is insomnia, with symptoms of:

• Not feeling well-rested after a night's sleep
• Daytime tiredness or sleepiness
• Irritability, depression, or anxiety
• Difficulty paying attention, focusing on tasks, or remembering
• Increased errors or accidents
• Ongoing worries about sleep

You may experience insomnia for a number of reasons, but the most common culprits are: 

• Work schedule
• Poor sleep habits
• Excessive alcohol or caffeine use at night 
• Habitual nighttime screen use

Illustration by JR Bee for Verywell Health

Small changes to your nighttime routine can result in a huge health benefit:

• Establish a realistic bedtime and stick to it every night, even on the weekends.
• Maintain comfortable temperature settings and low light levels in your bedroom.
• Consider a “screen ban” on televisions, computers and tablets, cell phones, and other electronic devices in your bedroom.
• Abstain from caffeine, alcohol, and large meals in the hours leading up to bedtime.
• Refrain from using tobacco at any time of day or night.
• Exercise during the day; this can help you wind down in the evening and prepare for sleep.

Sleep is vital to maintaining health, and most adults need seven or more hours each day. There is increasing evidence that adequate, high-quality sleep can help prevent illnesses like respiratory infection as well as limit the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other serious conditions.

Memory, mood, and mental health also are affected by sleep deprivation and other sleep disorders.

There are lifestyle steps you can take to improve sleep. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have concerns or questions about how sleep patterns are affecting your health.

Antza C, Kostopoulos G, Mostafa S, Nirantharakumar K, Tahrani A. The links between sleep duration, obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus . J Endocrinol . 2021 Dec 13;252(2):125-141. doi:10.1530/JOE-21-0155.

Watson NF, Badr MS, Belenky G, Bliwise DL, Buxton OM, Buysse D, et al . Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult: A Joint Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society . Sleep . 2015 Jun 1;38(6):843-4. doi:10.5665/sleep.4716.

Chong PLH, Garic D, Shen MD, Lundgaard I, Schwichtenberg AJ. Sleep, cerebrospinal fluid, and the glymphatic system: A systematic review . Sleep Med Rev . 2022 Feb;61:101572. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101572. 

Walker WH 2nd, Walton JC, DeVries AC, Nelson RJ. Circadian rhythm disruption and mental health . Transl Psychiatry . 2020 Jan 23;10(1):28. doi:10.1038/s41398-020-0694-0. 

da Estrela C, McGrath J, Booij L, Gouin JP. Heart Rate Variability, Sleep Quality, and Depression in the Context of Chronic Stress . Ann Behav Med . 2021 Mar 16;55(2):155-164. doi:10.1093/abm/kaaa039.

Tucker MA, Humiston GB, Summer T, Wamsley E. Comparing the effects of sleep and rest on memory consolidation . Nature and Science of Sleep . 2020 Feb 3;12:79-91. doi:10.2147/NSS.S223917

Rasch B, Born J. About sleep’s role in memory .  Physiological Reviews . 2013;93(2):681-766. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00032.2012 

Chaput JP, McHill AW, Cox RC, Broussard JL, Dutil C, da Costa BGG, Sampasa-Kanyinga H, Wright KP Jr. The role of insufficient sleep and circadian misalignment in obesity . Nat Rev Endocrinol . 2023 Feb;19(2):82-97. doi:10.1038/s41574-022-00747-7.

Yeghiazarians Y, Jneid H, Tietjens JR, Redline S, Brown DL, El-Sherif N, et al . Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association . Circulation . 2021 Jul 20;144(3):e56-e67. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000988.

Hanlon EC, Tasali E, Leproult R, Stuhr KL, Doncheck E, de Wit H, Hillard CJ, Van Cauter E.  Sleep restriction enhances the daily rhythm of circulating levels of endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol . 2016 Mar 1;39(3):653-64. doi:10.5665/sleep.5546

Jones SE, Maisha FI, Strausz SJ, Lammi V, Cade BE, Tervi A, et al . The public health impact of poor sleep on severe COVID-19, influenza and upper respiratory infections . EBioMedicine . 2023 Jul;93:104630. doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104630

Wang J, Tang H, Duan Y, Yang S, An J. Association between Sleep Traits and Lung Cancer: A Mendelian Randomization Study . J Immunol Res . 2021 Jun 21;2021:1893882. doi:10.1155/2021/1893882. 

Büttner-Teleagă A, Kim YT, Osel T, Richter K. Sleep Disorders in Cancer-A Systematic Review . Int J Environ Res Public Health . 2021 Nov 7;18(21):11696. doi:10.3390/ijerph182111696.

Huang J, Song P, Hang K, Chen Z, Zhu Z, Zhang Y, et al . Sleep Deprivation Disturbs Immune Surveillance and Promotes the Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma . Front Immunol . 2021 Sep 3;12:727959. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2021.727959.

Parameswaran G, Ray DW. Sleep, circadian rhythms, and type 2 diabetes mellitus . Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) . 2022 Jan;96(1):12-20. doi:10.1111/cen.14607. 

Chasens ER, Imes CC, Kariuki JK, Luyster FS, Morris JL, DiNardo MM, et al . Sleep and Metabolic Syndrome . Nurs Clin North Am . 2021 Jun;56(2):203-217. doi:10.1016/j.cnur.2020.10.012.

Scott AJ, Webb TL, Rowse G. Does improving sleep lead to better mental health? A protocol for a meta-analytic review of randomised controlled trials . BMJ Open. 2017;7(9):e016873. Published 2017 Sep 18. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016873

By Shamard Charles, MD, MPH Shamard Charles, MD, MPH is a public health physician and journalist. He has held positions with major news networks like NBC reporting on health policy, public health initiatives, diversity in medicine, and new developments in health care research and medical treatments.

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How Sleep Works Why Is Sleep Important?

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Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. The way you feel while you are awake depends in part on what happens while you are sleeping. During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health.

In children and teens, sleep also helps support growth and development. Getting inadequate sleep over time can raise your risk for chronic (long-term) health problems. It can also affect how well you think, react, work, learn, and get along with others. Learn how sleep affects your heart and circulatory system, metabolism , respiratory system, and immune system and how much sleep is enough.

This brochure describes the differences between the types of sleep needed to feel awake and to be healthy and offers tips for getting a good night’s sleep.

Heart and circulatory system

When you fall asleep and enter non-REM sleep , your blood pressure and heart rate fall. During sleep, your parasympathetic system controls your body, and your heart does not work as hard as it does when you are awake. During REM sleep and when waking, your sympathetic system is activated, increasing your heart rate and blood pressure to the usual levels when you are awake and relaxed. A sharp increase in blood pressure and heart rate upon waking has been linked to angina, or chest pain, and heart attacks .

People who do not sleep enough or wake up often during the night may have a higher risk of:

• Coronary heart disease
• High blood pressure

Hormones and sleep

Your body makes different hormones at different times of day. This may be related to your sleep pattern or your circadian clocks. In the morning, your body releases hormones that promote alertness, such as cortisol, which helps you wake up. Other hormones have 24-hour patterns that vary throughout your life; for example, in children, the hormones that tell the glands to release testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone are made in pulses at night, and the pulses get bigger as puberty approaches.

Metabolism and sleep

The way your body handles fat varies according to various circadian clocks, including those in the liver, fat, and muscle. For example, the circadian clocks make sure that your liver is prepared to help digest fats at appropriate times. Your body may handle fat differently if you eat at unusual times.

Studies have shown that not getting enough quality sleep can lead to:

• Higher levels of the hormones that control hunger, including leptin and ghrelin, inside your body
• Decreased ability to respond to insulin
• Increased consumption of food, especially fatty, sweet, and salty foods
• Decreased physical activity
• Metabolic syndrome

All of these contribute to overweight and obesity .

Respiratory and immune systems

During sleep, you breathe less often and less deeply and take in less oxygen. These changes can cause problems in people who have health problems such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) . Asthma symptoms are usually worse during early morning sleep. Likewise, breathing problems in people who have lung diseases such as COPD can become worse during sleep.

Sleep also affects different parts of your immune system, which become more active at different times of day. For example, when you sleep, a particular type of immune cell works harder. That is why people who do not sleep enough may be more likely to get colds and other infections.

Lung Health Basics: Sleep

People with lung disease often have  trouble sleeping. Sleep is critical to overall health, so take the first step to sleeping better: learn these sleep terms, and find out about treatments that can help with sleep apnea.

Problems with thinking and memory

Sleep helps with learning and the formation of long-term memories. Not getting enough sleep or enough high-quality sleep can lead to problems focusing on tasks and thinking clearly. Read our Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency page for more information on how lack of sleep affects performance of daily activities, including driving and schoolwork.

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The Extraordinary Importance of Sleep

New sleep deprivation studies confirm the relationship between inadequate sleep and a wide range of disorders, such as hypertension, obesity and type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, impaired immune functioning, and more.

In the inaugural issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (2005), a feature article 1 traced early milestones in the developing field of sleep medicine, which slowly emerged from the older field of sleep research during the 1970s and 1980s. Sleep medicine, the article noted, was closely linked with and made possible by the discovery of electrical activity in the brain. The examination of electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns that occur during sleep led to the classification of stages of sleep, which in turn created an important foundation for probing human sleep, discerning abnormalities, and discovering significant relationships between sleep and health. By 2005, scientists and clinicians had not only identified and clearly defined a large number of sleep disorders but had discovered that many of them were highly prevalent.

The pace of research and discovery has only accelerated since 2005, and the number of peer-reviewed sleep journals has more than tripled. Today, researchers are more deeply probing the cellular and subcellular effects of disrupted sleep, as well as the effects of sleep deprivation on metabolism, hormone regulation, and gene expression. Newer studies are strengthening known and suspected relationships between inadequate sleep and a wide range of disorders, including hypertension, 2 obesity and type-2 diabetes, 3 impaired immune functioning, 4 cardiovascular disease and arrhythmias, 5 , 6 mood disorders, 7 neurodegeneration and dementia, 8 , 9 and even loneliness. 10

Research findings continue to underscore early concerns about public safety that were first raised when major industrial disasters such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill were linked to inadequate sleep. 11 Related research sponsored by major organizations, including the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), has helped to inspire national initiatives aimed at improving public safety and health. However, despite the astounding acceleration in research during the past few decades, inadequate sleep due to sleep disorders, work schedules, and chaotic lifestyles continues to threaten both health and safety.

“Pushing against the wave of accelerated growth in the field has been a shoreline of indifference,” says David F. Dinges, PhD, Professor and Chief of the Division of Sleep and Chronobiology in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. “Modern industrial pressures to use time 24 hours a day have led to shiftwork and a world in which virtually everything—law Susan L. Worley is a freelance medical writer who resides in Pennsylvania. enforcement, airports and all kinds of transportation, industrial operations, and hospitals—operates 24/7. People have come to value time so much that sleep is often regarded as an annoying interference, a wasteful state that you enter into when you do not have enough willpower to work harder and longer.”

David F. Dinges, PhD

It has become increasingly clear, however, that no matter how hectic our lives may be, we can no longer afford to ignore what research is telling us about the importance of sleep for our safety and mental and physical well-being.

Impact on Attention, Cognition, and Mood

While scientists are still working to identify and clarify all of the functions of sleep, 12 decades of studies—many of which have used the method of disrupting sleep and examining the consequences—have confirmed that sleep is necessary for our healthy functioning and even survival.

“We know for sure that sleep serves multiple functions,” says Dr. Dinges. “Nature tends to be very parsimonious in that it often uses a single system or biology in multiple ways to optimize the functioning of an organism. We know, for example, that sleep is critical for waking cognition—that is, for the ability to think clearly, to be vigilant and alert, and sustain attention. We also know that memories are consolidated during sleep, and that sleep serves a key role in emotional regulation.”

Studies conducted by Dr. Dinges and other scientists have shown that cognitive performance and vigilant attention begin to decline fairly quickly after more than 16 hours of continuous wakefulness, and that sleep deficits from partial sleep deprivation can accumulate over time, resulting in a steady deterioration in alertness. The widely used psychomotor vigilance test (PVT), a simple neurocognitive test developed by Dr. Dinges and colleagues that assesses an individual’s ability to sustain attention and respond to signals in a timely manner, has proven to be an exceptionally sensitive tool for capturing dose–response effects of sleep loss on neurobehavioral functioning. 13 The PVT also reliably detects sleep deficits caused by disrupted or fragmented sleep, and/or poorly timed sleep, which is important because a growing body of evidence suggests that the continuity and timing (or circadian alignment) of sleep may be as important as the total amount of time spent sleeping.

“We know that sleep is much more restorative of waking functions and health when it is consolidated and not fragmented,” explains Dr. Dinges. “That is, when sleep goes through the appropriate physiological sequences of non-REM (rapid eye movement) and REM states at night, and occurs when human sleep is temporally programmed by our circadian clock to occur. Such consolidated sleep is typically of a longer duration and better sleep quality than sleep taken at other times of the day, such as that which occurs with nightshift work, jet lag, and other conditions of circadian misalignment.”

Dr. Dinges and his colleagues have found that people whose daily sleep duration is inadequate, or repeatedly disrupted (e.g., by obstructive sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, pain or stress, or shiftwork or jet lag), often are not aware of their accumulating sleep deficits or the toll that these deficits can take on their waking cognitive functions, including their performance, working memory, cognitive speed, and accuracy. Inadequate sleep also can take a toll on psychological well-being, significantly affecting our emotional and psychosocial interpretation of events and exacerbating our stress levels. Studies have indicated that changes in mood may be due in part to the effects of sleep deprivation on the processing of emotional memory—in other words, our tendency to select and remember negative memories after inadequate sleep. 14

In one study conducted by Dr. Dinges and colleagues, participants’ mood was observed after they were confronted with “high” and “low” performance demands, following varying degrees of sleep deprivation. 15

“To our surprise, those who were sleep-deprived responded to low stressors in much the same way that people without any sleep deprivation tended to respond to high stressors,” said Dr. Dinges. “In other words, we tend to become much more sensitive emotionally and socially when we are sleep-deprived. That is what I like to call the ‘who was at my desk or who touched my coffee cup?’ phenomenon. I think we all have experienced having an extreme reaction or a very negative emotional response to a mild stressor when we have not had enough sleep.”

Aiming for the Sweet Spot

How much sleep is enough? After decades of investigation, it appears that scientists have gathered enough evidence to begin to answer that question. 16

“When duration of sleep drops below seven hours, and especially when it starts to move toward six and half hours or less, a number of different disorders begin to increase in prevalence,” says Dr. Dinges. “Most experts would agree that there is a kind of sweet spot that most people should aim for, and for the average healthy adult that zone is ideally somewhere between 7 and 7 and a half hours. That is what the consensus evaluations of more than a thousand scientific articles have yielded—the consensus of evaluations conducted by the AASM (American Academy of Sleep Medicine) and Sleep Research Society jointly.”

Numerous large U.S. surveys—beginning with a 1982 survey by the American Cancer Society—have been used to estimate the number of hours that most people spend sleeping. Many surveys have identified a worrisome prevalence of “short” sleepers (people who sleep 6 hours or less) among respondents, and a general trend toward decreasing sleep duration between 1975 and 2006. More recently, however, an analysis of the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), spearheaded by Mathias Basner, MD, PhD, at the University of Pennsylvania 17 , has suggested that there may be cause for optimism.

“The analysis shows that there is a slight but steady increase in sleep time that stretches back to about 2003 or 2004,” says Dr. Dinges. “We think this increase, which is modest—at most a minute or two more per year—is due in part to the development of the field of sleep medicine, and public and scientific reports in the media about sleep loss contributing to accidents and catastrophes, and so forth. Ever so slowly, the message that it is important not to get sleep deprived, and to get help if you have a sleep disorder, has begun to penetrate to the public.”

The analysis notes that one sign of greater interest in sleep on the part of the public has been a significant increase in Google searches containing the word “sleep” since 2004. Data from the ATUS also suggest that over time, people have been willing to trade some of their daily activities in exchange for more sleep. It is important to note, says Dr. Dinges, that self-reports of time spent sleeping are not always accurate—they can be off by a half an hour or more, usually with people tending to estimate that they slept more than they did. He also notes that there is still a fairly large population sleeping 6 hours or less.

“Although there are signs that sleep time is increasing, it is not happening at nearly the dramatic rate that most experts would like to see,” says Dr. Dinges. “This is especially true for vulnerable populations. There is concern about school start times and bus times affecting the sleep of children and adolescents, and about extracurricular activities at the end of the school day sometimes leading to a delay in bed times for teenagers. All of this is an ongoing, evolving picture, with more research results coming out all the time, and with consequent changes in recommendations, to make sure that at least our most vulnerable populations are getting adequate sleep.”

Interindividual Differences in Vulnerability to Sleep Loss

While it is well established that the effects of sleep loss accumulate over time, with repeated exposure to inadequate, fragmented, or disrupted sleep, the degree to which individuals demonstrate adverse effects of inadequate sleep can vary considerably. 18

“We have learned that there are astonishingly mysterious phenotypes, or trait-like differences, in how vulnerable people are to sleep loss,” says Dr. Dinges. “This is still a relatively new area of research, and it has only been in the past few years that scientists have begun to replicate early findings regarding these phenotypic differences in vulnerability to the negative neurobehavioral effects of sleep loss. The interindividual differences that have been observed so far raise some extremely provocative scientific questions. We may find that there is something in waking biology that can substitute for, or somehow reduce, the impact of sleep loss on waking functioning, but thus far there is no evidence as to what that might be.”

Differences among individuals exist with regard to both the effects of sleep loss and the ability to recover from the effects of sleep loss. Differences in performance also have been shown to be task-dependent, suggesting that people who are vulnerable to the effects of sleep loss in one or more cognitive or neurobehavioral domains may be resistant to the effects of sleep loss in others. To better understand interindividual variability, scientists are investigating possible genetic mechanisms that may underlie complex interactions between circadian and sleep homeostatic systems—the systems that affect our drive for sleep as well as our alertness and performance during waking hours. A current goal is to discover biomarkers that may help predict individual performance after varying degrees of sleep loss. 19 And one hope is that biomarkers—ideally in the form of a simple “roadside” test such as a breathalyzer—may eventually be used to detect sleep loss-related impairment in drivers or in individuals responsible for operating sophisticated equipment or machinery. To date, no viable candidates have been found.

Investigators also are shedding light on the role that age may play in resilience to sleep loss. The results of one recent study indicate that younger adults are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of chronic sleep loss and recurring circadian disruption than older adults. 20 Although the neurobiological basis for these age-related differences is not yet understood, such findings may help to inform new approaches to the prevention of drowsy driving and related motor-vehicle accidents among young drivers.

Dr. Dinges emphasizes that findings regarding interindividual differences in response to sleep loss and in recovery from sleep loss should not diminish the message that adequate sleep is critical for everyone.

“Research has shown us that sleep is not an optional activity,” says Dr. Dinges. “There is no question that sleep is fundamentally conserved across species and across lifespans, and that any effort to eliminate it has been unsuccessful. We must plan our lives in the time domain with a serious consideration for sleep—planning when to sleep, ensuring that we get adequate sleep, and making sure that our sleep is not disturbed by disorders or diseases, whether or not they are sleep-related.”

Addressing Sleep Disorders

As connections between sleep disruption and both disease and mortality have become more firmly established, accurate and efficient diagnosis and management of sleep disorders (see Table 1 ) have become increasingly critical. Recent directions in the field of sleep medicine include a move toward patient-centered care, greater collaboration between specialists and primary care physicians, and the incorporation of new tools—including home-based diagnostic tests and novel electronic questionnaires—in the effort to create a comprehensive yet more personalized approach to assessment and treatment.

ICSD-3 Major Diagnostic Sections *

A chief goal is to improve the diagnosis of sleep disorders. Although approximately 70 million people in the U.S. have at least one sleep disorder, experts estimate that up to 80% of sleep disorders may go undetected or undiagnosed. One major challenge that clinicians face during the initial assessment of people with sleep disorders is the process of identifying and sorting out comorbidities. Untangling the causes and effects in bidirectional comorbidities can be particularly difficult. For example, insomnia—by far the most common sleep disorder—often is complicated by the presence of another sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome.

“Some experts have even suggested that all cases of insomnia coexist with, or are caused by, another sleep disorder, most commonly sleep apnea,” says Clete A. Kushida, MD, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford, and Division Chief and Medical Director of Stanford Sleep Medicine. “I’m not sure I would go quite that far, but certainly bidirectional comorbidities among individuals who experience sleep disorders are common. For example, pain syndromes—including back pain and limb pain, especially among older patients—are common comorbidities in patients with insomnia. Mood disorders also frequently occur in patients who experience insomnia.”

Comorbidities can complicate treatment and often require sleep specialists to collaborate with not only primary care physicians but also specialists in other therapeutic areas.

“If, for example, a person with insomnia also has been diagnosed with depression by a psychiatrist,” says Dr. Kushida, “our goal is to work hand in hand with the psychiatrist to find the right medication. There are both sedating and alerting antidepressants, and a patient may need to try one medication for a couple of weeks to months, slowly increasing the dose to a therapeutic level, until the effect on both the depression and the patient’s sleep can be determined. For some individuals, an alerting antidepressant can cause poor sleep, which in turn can exacerbate the depression. The process of achieving the right dose of the right medication can be complex, and benefits from a collaboration between specialists.”

Undetected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients with chronic pain, or other serious illnesses, can result in potentially dangerous comorbidities. Opioids, for example, are known to have adverse effects on respiration, and can lead to central sleep apnea (CSA)—shallow and irregular or interrupted breathing and sustained hypoventilation—a potentially lethal condition that can intensify the consequences of OSA. These risks underscore the need to improve methods for identifying and properly diagnosing the estimated 23.5 million U.S. adults with OSA. Public education and advocacy efforts are already helping to improve detection—in part by helping to address misconceptions about OSA.

“One of the biggest misconceptions is that only people who are significantly overweight experience sleep apnea,” says Dr. Kushida. “In fact, only up to 67% of people who have OSA are overweight, the rest are of normal weight. OSA also can be caused by craniofacial dysmorphism, or a defect of the airway that occurs during development. A narrow airway caused by deficient growth of the craniofacial skeleton, particularly the jaws, can become narrower and more prone to collapse with age, leading to sleep apnea.”

Treating Insomnia: The Value of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Insomnia, the most prevalent sleep disorder, affects approximately one third of all adults and is the most common condition that family and primary-care physicians encounter. According to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD-3), chronic insomnia is the inability to attain sufficient sleep (despite adequate opportunity) for at least three nights per week for three months or longer, with negative daytime consequences. For most people, the disorder is transient, but for approximately 10% to 15% of those who experience insomnia (around 30 million people) it becomes chronic. Although pharmacologic treatments for insomnia ( Table 2 ) can be effective, most experts now recommend against the long-term use of pharmacotherapy.

Selected Pharmaceutical Treatments for Insomnia 21 , 27

“If a person has been diagnosed with chronic insomnia, the only treatment that has been shown to have long-term benefit is cognitive behavioral therapy, “says Dr. Kushida. “Medications really should be considered short-term treatments, because patients tend to develop dependence on, or tolerance to, hypnotic drugs. In our clinic, we commonly see that, over time, medications stop having an effect, and that means that patients may try higher doses of a medication, or keep switching to different medications. So, medications are a temporary solution—they just put a Band-Aid on the problem of insomnia, whereas cognitive behavioral therapy targets one of the pathways toward success.”

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which involves techniques that work in part by reducing cognitive and somatic arousal, is estimated to be effective in approximately 70% to 80% of people who experience chronic insomnia. Dr. Kushida notes that while drugs can sometimes be useful in the treatment of acute insomnia, they become problematic after acute insomnia transitions to chronic insomnia.

“A person might be an OK sleeper for several years, and then suddenly experience a traumatic event, such as the loss of a job, a divorce, or the death of a loved one, resulting in very poor sleep,” says Dr. Kushida. “Down the road, that person might obtain a better job, overcome grief, or find a new relationship, but continue to experience insomnia. We think in some cases the transition from acute insomnia to chronic insomnia occurs because the behavioral event triggers something in the person’s physiology that may lead to long-term changes. Once they are in a chronic insomnia phase, we tell patients that CBT is the only truly effective intervention.”

If a patient is already taking hypnotics, Dr. Kushida says that he will gradually wean the patient off medications while introducing CBT. He notes that often it is necessary for sleep specialists to manage the expectations of chronic sufferers.

Clete A. Kushida, MD, PhD

“We sometimes have to let patients with chronic insomnia know that we may never get them back to where they were when they had optimal sleep,” Dr. Kushida explains. “The behavioral methods we use work well, and usually we can get patients to the point where the insomnia is having less of an impact on their quality of life. Our inability to completely restore the patient’s ability to sleep well may partly be explained by as yet unidentified changes in his or her neurophysiology or neurochemistry. Some patients with chronic insomnia can begin to sleep normally again, but for the vast majority, we aim to make insomnia less of a burden on a patient’s daily life.”

Improving Clinical Research

In the field of sleep medicine, as in many other therapeutic areas, future directions in clinical trial research will place an emphasis on patient engagement and patient-centered outcomes.

“Perhaps the most important aim these days when developing and implementing any type of large-scale clinical research study is to incorporate the patient’s perspective,” says Dr. Kushida, who is currently analyzing the results of a comparative effectiveness sleep study sponsored by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). 22 The study, designed and conducted by a team at Stanford, introduced a new model of patient-centered, coordinated care and tested it against conventional outpatient treatment for sleep disorders.

“The patient’s perspective is so invaluable in guiding the success of a study that ideally it should be incorporated right at the inception of a research question or idea,” says Dr. Kushida. “When you are designing an especially complicated trial, for example, it is easy to incorporate a lot of tests and measures without being aware of the burden these can place on the participants. It’s critical to learn from patients whether they are overwhelmed by the number of tests, or whether travel time or the amount of time they need to take off from work may be impractical.”

Other efforts to improve clinical research include those focused on correcting for and/or eliminating several confounding variables that tend to plague sleep research. The surprising power of the placebo effect, 23 the related disconnect between objective and subjective evaluations of sleep loss and recovery from sleep loss, variable adherence to treatments, and, more recently, deceptive practices among clinical trial participants, are a few examples.

The placebo effect, which refers to any outcome that may be attributable to the expectations of clinical trial participants rather than to the drug or device being tested, can be especially problematic in experimental protocols that involve self-reports of sleep quality.

“Clinical trials involving patients with disorders such as insomnia or RLS that rely solely on subjective measures, or ratings of severity based on patient report, are particularly vulnerable to the placebo effect,” says Dr. Kushida. “It has been demonstrated that when these patients believe that they are receiving the study drug or device the likelihood of their experiencing a positive effect can increase significantly. There have been efforts to develop or introduce new objective endpoints in these studies, which may help with this problem.”

Achieving the right balance of subjective and objective measures of sleep is an important goal in both research and clinical practice. The current gold standard for objective assessment of sleep is polysomnography (PSG), which includes electrophysiological recordings of brain activity (EEG), muscle activity (EMG), and eye movements (EOG). A valuable, non-invasive method for determining sleep continuity and sleep architecture, PSG has been an indispensable objective endpoint in clinical trials, but it is expensive and not always practical. Novel approaches to objective measurement, including actigraphy, which may be used to help minimize recall bias and complement subjective measures of sleep (e.g., sleep logs or diaries), still have drawbacks. 24

“The problem with wearable devices right now,” says Dr. Kushida, “is that they tend to overestimate sleep, sometimes by as much as an hour. They also are not yet capable of accurately detecting different stages of sleep, such as non-REM and REM sleep. Because of our proximity to Silicon Valley, our laboratory tests a lot of these new devices, and often by the time we have finished testing one prototype, new ones have emerged. The product cycles are rapid, and the companies keep incorporating newer and newer technology. So, down the road, within about five to ten years, I think these devices will likely estimate sleep and detect sleep stages with precision.”

Also, objective tools are needed for addressing problems with adherence to treatment. One important current aim is to detect and correct for non-obvious factors that result in failure to adhere to treatment, whether unintended or deliberate, to ensure that trial outcomes accurately reflect the efficacy of a drug, medical device, or behavioral intervention. 25 A related problem is deliberate deception by trial participants. As part of a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)-supported study focused on detecting and correcting for adherence problems, Dr. Kushida and colleagues began to explore the prevalence of deceptive practices among clinical trial participants. 26

“We found that deception among clinical trial participants is pretty common and that there is quite a range of deceptive practices, “says Dr. Kushida. “They include underreported drug holidays, fabrication or withholding of medical histories, pill dumping, exaggerated symptoms, and falsification of current health status. It’s important that we find a way to address these deceptive practices because both the integrity of research data and the safety of participants are at risk.”

Dr. Kushida adds that newer tools, such as electronic monitoring of pill dispensing and statistical predictive adherence models, may uncover and remedy pressing problems related to adherence and deceptive practices. “It already takes about 12 years for a new drug to be approved, and about three to five years for a new device to be approved. When deceptive practices are discovered too late, it can lead to the invalidation of research findings and further delays in approving much-needed treatments.”

Enhancing clinical research in the field will require a cooperative, international effort focused on advancing knowledge about sleep, circadian rhythms, and sleep disorders worldwide. During Dr. Kushida’s tenure as inaugural president of the World Sleep Society (WSS), he led an initiative to create international sleep fellowships to prepare physicians and scientists from various countries for future leadership roles in basic and/or clinical sleep research. He also oversaw the development of an International Sleep Research Network, designed to help sleep scientists and clinicians find collaborators with similar clinical/research interests. As the WSS continues to offer new services and expand its programs, it will be with an awareness of the needs of disadvantaged populations and the importance of access to appropriate treatment.

“One initiative of the WSS involves reviewing current published guidelines in various countries, to determine whether they meet international standards,” says Dr. Kushida. “Many guidelines are region-specific and list only medications approved in specific countries or regions. As we review the guidelines, we endorse them with caveats; we may note that particular treatments for insomnia are recommended, and when these are not available we recommend acceptable substitutes. The goal is to ensure that specialists can use practice guidelines in whichever country they practice sleep medicine, and that patients are receiving the best possible treatment available.”

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Sleep 101: Why Sleep Is So Important to Your Health

Erica Jansen

Research assistant professor of nutritional sciences.

March 2, 2020

What is sleep exactly, and how does it help us stay healthy?

Sleep is an altered state of consciousness where we have limited interactions with our surroundings and are relatively quiet and still (depending on the stage of sleep). Contrary to our quiet physical state, the brain is very active during sleep, carrying out many important functions. Sleep is essential to every process in the body, affecting our physical and mental functioning the next day, our ability to fight disease and develop immunity, and our metabolism and chronic disease risk. Sleep is truly interdisciplinary because it touches every aspect of health.

Sleep is essential to every process in the body, affecting our physical and mental functioning the next day, our ability to fight disease and develop immunity, and our metabolism and chronic disease risk.

How does what we eat impact our sleep?

It is well-known that certain substances, such as caffeine, can affect the onset of sleep in a negative way. On the other hand, evidence is growing that shows how other foods like tart cherries, kiwi, fatty fish (like salmon and tuna), and malted milk may have beneficial effects on sleep. More recently, studies have shown that healthy dietary patterns overall—not just specific foods—could be associated with longer sleep duration and shorter time to fall asleep.

Why is sleep so important for young children, and what are some of the common negative effects of poor sleep?

Sleep is important for every part of the body, and it is especially important for young children as their bodies and minds develop. In young children, lack of sleep or poor quality sleep can be associated with difficult behaviors, lower capacity to learn and retain information, and a propensity for poor eating patterns and weight gain.

What sleep needs do adolescents have, and what does this mean for the current conversations we're having around school-day start times?

Adolescents need around 8-10 hours of sleep per night, but a high proportion do not get that amount. For example, recent estimates suggest that 60 percent of middle schoolers and 70 percent of high schoolers don’t get adequate sleep on school nights. This figure is even higher for Michigan high schoolers, which is at 80 percent. One of the main reasons adolescents are so sleep-deprived is that biological changes in their brain affect when they feel sleepy. So even if they are sleep-deprived, they often can’t go to bed early because their brain is not yet prepared to sleep.

In school districts that have enacted later school start times, research is consistently showing that students get more sleep and as a result have fewer motor vehicle accidents, better grades, and improved mental health.

The problem with these delayed bedtimes is that school or before-school activities often start very early, so adolescents may end up chronically sleep deprived. In school districts that have enacted later school start times, research is consistently showing that students get more sleep and as a result have fewer motor vehicle accidents, better grades, and improved mental health.

Every spring and fall we change our clocks by an hour. What health impacts does this change have on individuals and on the public’s health?

There are many calls from the sleep-research community to eliminate daylight savings time. When our clocks are pushed forward, people lose one hour of sleep. This one-hour sleep loss is associated with significantly more motor vehicle accidents as well as cardiac events. When our clocks move backward, we might think that extra hour helps us. But our sleep patterns are disrupted by any change like this, so the fall time change may also lead to negative health impacts. In general, these universal time changes create a significant and negative burden on the public’s health.

How important is sleep for our mental health?

Sleep and mental health go hand-in-hand. Good sleep is essential for maintaining our baseline mental health, as one night of sleep deprivation can dramatically affect mood the next day. Chronic exposure to poor sleep quality is associated with depression, anxiety, and other conditions. There are also bidirectional associations—meaning that experiencing anxiety and depression very often affects sleep, which then impacts our ability to cope with the anxiety and depression, and so on.

How does alcohol impact sleep?

Although alcohol may help a person fall asleep quickly, it hinders sleep quality, often causing fragmented (interrupted) sleep. When consuming alcohol, it is recommended to do so several hours before bedtime so that the alcohol is completely out of the system before sleep.

Does screen time really affect our sleep?

There is evidence to show that screen use right before bed could impact sleep. One reason is that the blue light emitted from these devices can affect the secretion of melatonin, the hormone that helps signal to the body that it is time to fall asleep. Other reasons include the content of what is on the screen. If you watch a scary movie, read an emotionally-driven article, or consume any other anxiety-producing content on your screen, it can affect your ability to fall asleep. Sleep clinicians recommend putting away all screens at least one hour before bed and to instead do some light reading or other relaxing activity.

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The Importance of Sleep by Kealey

Kealeyof Logan 's entry into Varsity Tutor's July 2017 scholarship contest

The Importance of Sleep by Kealey - July 2017 Scholarship Essay

Sleep is one of the most important aspects of our lives. For many, sleep is too often undervalued. But when all's said and done, we should place sleep as a higher priority in our lives because it enhances our physical and cognitive performance, improves our memory, and supports survival mechanisms. Sleep provides cognitive and physical health benefits that allow the human body to function more properly. I personally perform better in all aspects of life if I receive adequate amounts of sleep. Because of this, I strive to be in bed by my set bedtime (no later than 10:30 pm). There are instances, specifically on the weekend that I stay up later. In contrast, my father does not get enough sleep. During my teenage years, he would consistently go to bed around 11 pm or midnight and wake up at either 3:00 or 4:00 am. The reality of the need for sleep finally sunk in when my dad was diagnosed with Pseudotumor cerebri, or swelling of the optic nerve. Other health problems escalated as an after effect. Although there are no known causes of this condition, the doctors suggested that inadequate amounts of sleep may have been a contributing factor. In findings reported by the National Institution of Health,sleep is necessary to heal and repair the body’s immune functions, regulate a healthy balance of hormones, and also aids in growth and development. Like my father, sometimes the suffering presents itself in extremities. But more often than not, little things such as the common cold or flu affect those that don’t get enough sleep more. Because sleep is individualized, a person must ensure they get adequate amounts of sleep for proper physical functioning on a daily basis. Not only does sleep affect our physical abilities, it can enhance our overall mental abilities. In general, humans function better when they get enough sleep. Dr. Ferraro and Dr. Genarro, two Italian sleep psychologists, suggest a direct correlation indicating that performance ability declines as the number of hours of sleep declines. During sleep the brain builds and strengthens neurological pathways. When not enough sleep occurs, a person increases their risk of developing mental illnesses such as depression. Thus, this evidence provides support for doctors and therapists who suggest sleep as a remedy, both to cure physical and cognitive illnesses. Sleep also affects our memory. Being able to remember, retain, and recall are the three “Rs” to memory. The human memory relies on sleep for the enhancement of these. Dr. Jan Born, and Dr. Ines Wilhelm, two German psychology professors, recently conducted a study to find the relationship between sleep and memory. Their research indicates that sleep helps convert implicit knowledge or patterns, into explicit knowledge that is retained in the brain. Memory consolidation cannot happen correctly without sleep. Born and Wilhelm also found that sleep improves long-term memory. They suggest that sleep could be the process in which newly encoded memory representations are redistributed to other neuron networks serving as long-term storage. When I practiced for piano competitions in high school and attempted to memorize a song, I often played it right before bed. The next day, I could recall the music better compared to practicing it in the early afternoon. Thus, sleep becomes a beneficiary factor for memory. Sleep is not an independent variable. In fact, although sleep is important, there are many other things that are necessary to having a well-balanced life. Culture, family, work, social life, and values all determine one’s way of living. Despite the situations that make up a person’s life, sleep deserves greater prioritization. Dr. Michael Colgan, a world-wide renowned research scientist relates, “Sleep could be considered more important than food in maintaining physical and cognitive health if water supply is sufficient.” Sleep acts as as a survival tool, when not put to use, it can cause serious work-related and life-threatening crises. In 2005, The National Sleep Foundation found about 60% of all drivers have driven drowsy, furthermore 100,000 car accidents are sleep related. This included 1550 deaths and 71,000 injuries. This lack of sleep is a weapon: the sleep deficient driver becomes the offender, and other drivers on the road become the victims. Detecting drowsy driving tends to be more difficult to detect than things such as seat belt usage or driving under the influence. But, sleep deprivation and fatigue make lapses of attention more likely to occur. Sleep is a major factor that potentially saves lives. Even with the productivity of our society, Americans need to place a greater importance on sleep. Sleep is beneficial to maintaining and improving our cognitive and physical performances, memory functions, and acts a survival mechanism. As Russell Foster put it “Sleep is the golden chain that ties all aspects of health [and life] together.” If we placed sleep as a greater importance in our society, there would be less accidents, injuries, illnesses, and overall greater happiness levels. Take the initiative and start today to get enough sleep; crawl into your pajamas, and snuggle on into your bed for a full night's sleep.

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Sleep: A Very Short Introduction

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Sleep: A Very Short Introduction addresses the biological and psychological aspects of sleep. What is sleep? Why do we need it? How much is enough? What is the impact of modern society on sleep? We spend about a third of our lives asleep. References to sleep abound in literature and art, sleep has been recognized as fundamental to the human condition. Over the past century, our knowledge of sleep has developed hugely. The impact of poor sleep on our quality of life is gaining recognition and the prevalence of sleep disorders in the population is increasing as we live ever stressful lives.

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• About Sleep
• Sleep Facts
• Sleep Resources
• Good sleep is essential for our health and emotional well-being.
• Getting enough sleep and good sleep quality are essential for healthy sleep.
• The amount of sleep you need changes as you age.
• Talk to your healthcare provider if you have problems sleeping.

Getting enough sleep

The daily recommended hours of sleep you need changes as you age.

Sleep Recommended Daily

0–3 months

14–17 hours 1

4–12 months

12–16 hours (including naps) 2

1–2 years

11–14 hours (including naps) 2

3–5 years

10–13 hours (including naps) 2

6–12 years

9–12 hours 2

13–17 years

8–10 hours 2

18–60 years

7 or more hours 3

61–64 years

7–9 hours 1

65 years and older

7–8 hours 1

Health benefits of sleep

Getting enough sleep can help you:

• Get sick less often.
• Stay at a healthy weight.
• Reduce stress and improve your mood.
• Improve your heart health and metabolism.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• Heart disease.
• High blood pressure.
• Lessen the risk of motor vehicle crashes and related injury or death.
• Improve your attention and memory for better perform daily activities.

Better sleep habits can help you get a good night's sleep. Habits that can improve your sleep include:

• Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day.
• Keeping your bedroom quiet, relaxing, and at a cool temperature.
• Turning off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
• Avoiding large meals and alcohol before bedtime.
• Avoiding caffeine in the afternoon or evening.
• Exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy diet.

Sleep quality

Quality sleep means you are getting uninterrupted and refreshing sleep. Getting quality sleep is not just about how many hours you sleep, but how well you sleep.

Signs of poor sleep quality include:

• Trouble falling asleep.
• Repeatedly waking up during the night.
• Feeling sleepy or tired even after getting enough sleep.

Sleep disorders

Some people may have health conditions that prevent them from getting enough quality sleep, no matter how hard they try. These conditions are called sleep disorders.

Common sleep disorders

Common sleep disorders include:

• Restless legs syndrome.
• Narcolepsy.
• Sleep apnea.

Talk to your healthcare provider if you regularly have problems sleeping or notice signs or symptoms of common sleep disorders.

Your provider can run tests, including sleep studies, to tell if you have a sleep disorder.

Keeping a sleep diary

Your provider may have you keep a diary of your sleep habits to better understand what's going on.

Your sleep diary should include when you:

• Wake up during the night.
• Wake up in the morning.
• Drink alcohol or caffeinated drinks.
• Take medications.

What CDC is doing

• High school students .
• CDC's PLACES has local estimates on adults not getting enough sleep.
• Hirshkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert SM, et al. The National Sleep Foundation's sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep Health . 2015;1(1):40–43.
• Paruthi S, Brooks LJ, D'Ambrosio C, et al. Recommended amount of sleep for pediatric populations: a consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. J Clin Sleep Med. 2016;12(6):785–786.
• Watson NF, Badr MS, Belenky G, et al. Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: a joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. Sleep . 2015;38(6):843–844.

By sharing information and resources, CDC raises awareness about the importance of sleep health and its effect on public health.

Essay on Importance of Sleep

Students are often asked to write an essay on Importance of Sleep in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Importance of Sleep

Understanding sleep.

Sleep is a crucial part of our lives. It helps us rest, rejuvenate, and prepare for the next day. Without sleep, our bodies and minds cannot function properly.

Why is Sleep Important?

Sleep contributes to our overall health. It allows our brain to process information and memories. It also gives our body time to repair and grow.

Effects of Lack of Sleep

Lack of sleep can lead to health issues like heart disease and obesity. It also affects our mood, making us feel irritable and stressed.

So, quality sleep is essential for our well-being. Make sleep a priority to stay healthy and happy.

250 Words Essay on Importance of Sleep

The necessity of sleep.

Sleep, often overlooked in our fast-paced society, is a fundamental aspect of human health and well-being. Its importance extends beyond merely banishing under-eye circles or boosting mood; it is an essential part of our biological function.

Role in Physical Health

Sleep plays a significant role in the body’s healing and repair processes, particularly for the heart and blood vessels. Chronic sleep deficiency is linked to heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke. Furthermore, it aids in maintaining a healthy balance of hormones that regulate feelings of hunger and satiety, thereby indirectly influencing our body weight and food choices.

Cognitive Function and Emotional Well-being

Sleep is vital for various aspects of brain function. This includes cognition, concentration, productivity, and performance. During sleep, your brain forms new pathways to help you learn and remember information. A good night’s sleep improves problem-solving skills and enhances memory. Lack of sleep impairs these functions, leading to decreased productivity and increased mistakes.

The Impact on Mental Health

Sleep deficiency has been linked to an increased risk of developing mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and mood swings. Sleep helps reset our emotional brain circuits, allowing us to manage daily stress and adapt to change.

In conclusion, sleep is not a luxury, but a necessity. It’s a vital part of our lives that impacts our physical health, cognitive function, emotional well-being, and overall quality of life. Recognizing the importance of sleep and making necessary adjustments to prioritize it is a crucial step towards improved health and productivity.

500 Words Essay on Importance of Sleep

The importance of sleep: an underrated aspect of health.

Sleep, often overlooked, is a crucial aspect of our overall health and well-being. In our fast-paced society, sleep is frequently sacrificed for more seemingly productive activities, however, this neglect can have serious health consequences.

The Science of Sleep

Sleep is not merely a passive state where the body is at rest. It is a complex physiological process where essential activities occur. During sleep, the body undergoes repair and rejuvenation, and the brain processes and integrates information gathered throughout the day. Sleep is divided into two distinct types: Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep and Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep. Each stage has specific functions, with NREM sleep primarily involved in physical restoration and REM sleep associated with memory consolidation and brain development.

The Health Implications of Sleep Deprivation

Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to a host of health problems. Physically, it can increase the risk of conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. It weakens the immune system, making one more susceptible to infections. Neurologically, lack of sleep can impair cognition, memory, and mood. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can lead to decreased concentration, memory lapses, loss of creativity, and mood swings. Furthermore, chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.

Sleep and Academic Performance

For college students, sleep is especially important. Numerous studies have demonstrated a correlation between sleep and academic performance. Adequate sleep can enhance learning and memory, improve concentration, and boost creativity, all of which are crucial for academic success. Conversely, sleep deprivation can impede these cognitive functions, leading to decreased academic performance.

Improving Sleep Quality

Given the importance of sleep, it is essential to prioritize it and adopt good sleep hygiene practices. These include maintaining a regular sleep schedule, creating a sleep-friendly environment, avoiding stimulating activities before bedtime, and addressing any underlying sleep disorders.

In conclusion, sleep is a crucial aspect of health that is often undervalued. The implications of sleep deprivation are far-reaching, affecting physical health, mental health, and cognitive functions. As college students, it is essential to prioritize sleep to maintain overall health and optimize academic performance. By understanding the importance of sleep and adopting good sleep hygiene practices, we can reap the benefits of this vital physiological process.

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Why Do We Need Sleep?: InFormative Speech

Introduction.

• Title: Why do we need sleep?
• General purpose: To emphasize the importance of proper sleep behavior.
• Specific purpose: To enumerate the basic functions of sleep.
• Main idea: Sleep refills the body with energy and helps the brain function properly.

Have you ever wondered about the role of sleep? In your experience, you probably noticed that without proper sleep, it is difficult to concentrate and remain energetic. It is important to be aware of the basic functions of sleep to understand its significance for health and well-being.

In the modern world, insufficient sleep is a widespread problem for people of different ages. Therefore, many studies related to the role of sleep have been conducted in the sphere of psychology and medicine, and further, some of the aspects of sleep will be covered in detail. This speech aims to identify the functions of sleep and prove the importance of an adequate sleep-wake schedule.

Sleep contributes to organizing information received during the day. During sleep, the brain processes a human’s emotions and memories (McBurney et al., 2020). During sleep, the brain reorganizes the information by forming connections between neurons (McBurney et al., 2020). This function is essential for maintaining memory and learning ability.

Sleep helps get rid of tiredness and remain healthy and energetic. The function of sleep is to recover the body and prepare it for the next day (Bennis, 2020). Sufficient sleep reduces the risk of anxiety, depression, and other related effects (Leparski, 2019).

Sleep is needed to regulate biological processes happening in a human’s body. An important function of sleep is to restore hormone balance (Leparski, 2019). During sleep, the human body normalizes the level of adenosine, which is responsible for feeling fatigue (Bennis, 2020).

To summarize, it is important to understand that sleep affects different aspects of a human’s health and well-being. Firstly, during sleep, the brain processes all the information, memories, and emotions, preparing itself for the next day. Secondly, the human body gets rid of fatigue and averts stress and depression. Finally, sleep normalizes biological processes and restores hormone balance. Therefore, it is necessary for every person to pay attention to a sleep-wake schedule to remain healthy and energetic.

Bennis, T. (2020). Overthinking, photographic memory, habit stacking . Vaclav Vrbensky.

Leparski, S. (2019). The happy hormone guide: A plant-based program to balance hormones, increase energy, & reduce PMS symptoms. Blue Star Press.

McBurney, J.W., Weil, A.T., & Ruhoy, I.S. (Eds.). (2020). Integrative neurology . Oxford University Press.

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The Importance of Sleep

Constantly tired, grey faces with red, puffy eyes, hands holding cups loaded with caffeine… Lack of sleep seems to be a plague among the modern youth. We live in a constant rush, our schedules are overflowing with various tasks and responsibilities, and rest usually ends up as the lowest priority on our lists. People tend to underestimate the importance of good-quality sleep, without realising the consequences. Moreover, many of us don’t know what “quality sleep” even means – how long we should sleep, how to make sure we actually get enough rest and how to take care of appropriate sleep hygiene. This article will be your first step to finally getting a good night’s sleep.

First things first – do you know why sleep is so important? We all know that sleep is the time when our body and brain regenerate. Let's get down to a bit of science: it is the time when your heart and blood vessels heal and repair, protecting you from heart and kidney diseases, strokes and low blood pressure. Sleep is also an important factor for lowering the risk of diabetes, as it affects how your body reacts to insulin (the hormone that controls your blood sugar level).

If you still don’t feel convinced, good sleep can help you maintain appropriate body weight! Have you noticed that when you are sleepy, you are also more prone to reaching for comfort foods instead of healthy, nutritious meals?  Night time is when your body produces hormones, including ghrelin and leptin – hormones responsible for feeling hungry and full. What this actually means is that sleep deprivation lowers your metabolism, making you more likely to gain weight.

Good sleep is important for your mind as well. Obviously, feeling well-rested affects your mood, response time, and efficiency at work. Studies show that sleep has a crucial impact on activity in some parts of the brain. If you're tired, you may have trouble making decisions, solving problems, controlling your emotions and behaviour, and coping with change.

Now that you know why you should always get enough sleep, it’s time to find out how. Have you ever wondered how much sleep is “enough”? Or if there is such a thing as too much sleep? For an adult, the appropriate amount is between 7 and 9 hours. This means that sleeping over 9 hours per day can actually be bad for you. Oversleeping has similar effects to sleep deprivation: over time it can also lead to diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. More common effects of sleeping too much are headaches, lack of energy or depression. Sounds familiar? Remember that anything in excess is bad.

It’s not only how much sleep you get that’s important – if the quality of sleep is not right, you will not get its full benefits. There are a few tricks that can help you get as much rest as possible. You need to take care of a proper sleep hygiene. Firstly, remember that your bed should be reserved for sleep only – if you have a habit of working or eating in bed you should try to move it to somewhere else. Studies prove that separating workspace and sleeping space can help you fall asleep faster and sleep better throughout the night. And there’s bad news for those addicted to phones – the blue light from the screen disrupts natural sleep patterns by affecting melatonin (sleep hormone) levels. Does avoiding touching your phone and laptop for two hours before sleep sound impossible? At least switch all of your devices to night shift mode – it gives a yellow tint to your display, minimising the negative effect on your hormones. If your device doesn’t have a built-in night mode, you can try Twiligh t (for Android) or f.lux (for Windows).

If you have trouble falling asleep, you should try going to bed and waking up around the same time each day. It might be challenging, especially during weekends, but once you establish a routine, waking up early during the week becomes much easier.  Humans are creatures of habit, so having a nice bedtime routine – a time for you to unwind, relax, and get ready for bed - is the first step to good quality sleep. You can pick out an outfit and pack your bag for the following day, have a nice, warm bath, listen to some music, set time to read a book… try out what works best for you and stick to it!

Maybe it sounds like a lot of restrictions, hard to keep up with when you have a fully packed schedule and tight deadlines –  but still, sleep should be a priority. You’ll be much more efficient finishing everything in your crowded schedule with a rested brain, good energy, and positive attitude – not to mention that after a full night of sleep, those busy days will also feel better. Don’t you think it is worth sacrificing one thing in order to get proper rest? In the long run, it will bring you much more benefit and help you manage your time and tasks better. Good luck – and sleep well!

P.S. You can read up more about the science of sleep here .

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Home / Essay Samples / Health / Sleep Disorders / The Importance of Sleep Informative Speech Outline

The Importance of Sleep Informative Speech Outline

• Category: Life , Health
• Topic: Healthy Lifestyle , Sleep Disorders

Pages: 1 (538 words)

• Downloads: -->

Introduction

Importance of sleep.

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