Why good sleep is important- Dr. Abayomi Taiwo

Dr. Abayomi Taiwo, chief medical director of Victory Hospital, Alakuko, Shares his thoughts on sound sleep with Adebayo Obajemu

In this part of the world, because of so many factors, some of them economic, we find it difficult to sleep, it may be due to anxiety and worries over where the next meal is coming from, it may also be worries over children’s school fees. Lack of sound sleep affects our health.

Here are 10 Reasons Why Good Sleep is Important

Sleep affects the quality of life. Sleep makes one feel better, but its importance goes way beyond just boosting the mood or banishing eye bags. Adequate sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle, and can benefit your heart, weight, mind, and more.
Sleep is God’s mechanism for rejuvenation, preservation and all things great and amazing. Let’s dig in right away:

Sleep Affects Type 2 Diabetes Risk
Insufficient sleep affects blood sugar adversely and reduces insulin sensitivity.
In a study of healthy young men, restricting sleep to four hours per night for six nights in a row caused symptoms of pre-diabetes. This was then resolved after one week of increased sleep duration. Isn’t that interesting?

Poor sleep habits are also strongly linked to adverse effects on blood sugar in people generally, both males and females.
Those sleeping less than 6 hours per night have repeatedly been shown to be at increased risk for type 2 diabetes.

Poor Sleep is linked to Depression
Wow! Do you know that many more people than you know have strong depression tendencies and issues? Mental health issues, such as depression, are strongly linked to poor sleep quality and sleeping disorders.

It has been estimated that 90% of patients with depression complain about sleep quality. Poor sleep is even associated with increased risk of death by suicide; it’s no news that people are increasingly prone to suicide these days.

Amongst other things, the demand of urban life heavily impacts on duration and quality of sleep. Don’t ignore it!
Those with sleeping disorders, such as insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea, also report significantly higher rates of depression than those without. Don’t go for stretch of days with insufficient sleep.

Sleep improves your immune function
A small loss of sleep has been shown to impair immune function. When immunity is low, viral infections like cold, flu gain grounds quickly and insufficient sleep drops the immunity even further.

One large 2-week study monitored the development of the common cold after giving people nasal drops with the virus that causes colds. They found that those who slept less than seven hours were almost three times more likely to develop a cold than those who slept eight hours or more.

If you often get colds, ensuring that you get at least 8 hours of sleep per night could be very helpful. Eating more garlic can help too (Don’t mind the smell while it lasts!)

Poor Sleep is linked to Increased Inflammation
Sleep can have a major effect on inflammation in the body. In fact, sleep loss is known to activate undesirable markers of inflammation and cell damage.

Poor sleep has been strongly linked to long-term inflammation of the digestive tract, in disorders known as inflammatory bowel diseases.

One study observed that sleep deprived patients with Crohn’s disease were twice as likely to relapse as patients who slept well.

Researchers are even recommending sleep evaluation to help predict outcomes in sufferers of long-term inflammatory issues.

Sleep affects emotions and social interactions.
Sleep loss reduces our ability to interact socially.

Several studies confirmed this using emotional facial recognition tests. One study found that people who had not slept had a reduced ability to recognize expressions of anger and happiness.

Researchers believe that poor sleep affects our ability to recognize important social cues and process emotional information.
Along with nutrition, regular detoxification and exercise, good sleep is one of the pillars of health.

You simply cannot achieve optimal health without taking care of your sleep.