Sleep is often overlooked in favor of squeezing in an extra workout or night out dancing so a quick reminder on some of the reasons why you shouldn’t take sleep for granted
- Weight Management. Proper sleep improves hormone-related hunger response. The better we sleep, the lower the body’s levels of the hormone ghrelin, which promotes appetite. Better sleep also increases the hormone, leptin which is the satiety hormone. This increase helps us feel full sooner so we eat less.
- Exercise Performance. Energy levels increase with better sleep so performance and enjoyment increases
- Heart Health. Better sleep reduces the risk of heart attack, high blood pressure, and stroke by improving cardiovascular function.
- Inflammation Control. Sleep reduces the risk of inflammation in joints, muscles and connective tissues.
- Hormonal Output. Better sleep increases anabolic muscle-building hormones such as prolactin, testosterone, and growth hormones while decreasing catabolic muscle-wasting hormones such as cortisol, C-reactive protein and interleukin-6
- Brain Improvements. Sleep improves cognitive function, decision making and reaction times.
- Immune Response. Better sleep helps the body fight off colds, infections, and other common illnesses. It also helps the body respond better to serious health problems such as cancer and AIDS
- Emotional Well-being. Better sleep reduces the risk of mental illness, depression, and bipolar disorders
Taken from American Fitness Fall 2018