Why a Good Night’s Sleep Is Important

April 26, 2017      |      Posted on Posted in Total Well-Being
Why a Good Night’s Sleep Is Important

With more than half the adult American population sleep-deprived, and reports of sleep deprivation being associated with everything from weight gain to heart disease and diabetes, it’s time to stop tossing and turning and start counting sheep for a great night of shut-eye.

Why is sleep so important?

Sleep affects multiple systems in the body that keep people healthy. Sleep impacts:

  • The immune system – Feel a cold coming on after an all-nighter? This is no coincidence. Sleep is essential to the immune system. Without adequate sleep, the immune system becomes weak, and the body becomes more vulnerable to infection and disease.
  • The nervous system – Sleep is also a time of rest and repair for neurons. Neurons are the freeways of the nervous system that carry out both voluntary commands, like moving your arm and typing on a keyboard, and involuntary commands, like the digestive process and breathing.
  • Brain repair, replenishment, and growth – The brain works feverishly for most of the day and needs a break at night. Recent studies have suggested that sleep may replenish dwindling energy stores that cells need to function, repair cellular damage caused by the metabolism, and grow new nerve cells in the brain.
  • Hormone release – Many hormones are timed to release during sleep or right before sleep. Growth hormones, for example, are released during sleep, and are vital to children but also for restorative processes like muscle repair and metabolism. Sleep also affects two hormones related to weight control, leptin and ghrelin, which work in a kind of “checks and balances” system to control feelings of hunger and fullness. Leptin levels go down after a poor night’s sleep, which means less satisfaction after a meal. Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, stimulating appetite. The two combined can set the stage for overeating and weight gain.
  • Heart health – Too little sleep can promote calcium buildup in the arteries, leading to the plaques that can then break apart and cause heart attacks and strokes.

Instead of burning the candle at both ends, go to bed early enough to get a full eight hours of sleep to stay healthy and thrive.

For additional total well-being resources, contact your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided by ACI Specialty Benefits at 800.932.0034 or eapinfo@acispecialtybenefits.com.

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