5 reasons why sleep must be taken seriously

A look at the importance of getting a well-deserved rest at night.

In this part of the world, sleep can be sometimes seen as a luxury and why not, there are bills to be paid, food to put on the table, alongside many other financial and social commitments to meet up, all in a bid to earn a good living.

Yes, it is important to hustle for that “daily bread” as government isn’t catering for the basics, but what good is it if it comes at the detriment of one’s health and ultimately, one’s life?

A lack of sleep can lead to a whole lot of health complications that include anxiety, depression, paranoia, suicidal thoughts, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, stroke and so on.

So would you really want to find yourself in such a bracket? It’s very common to hear the phrase “sleep is for the weak”. Well, here are five reasons why sleep is for the strong:

1. Helps improve mood, performance and productivity
When one has quality sleep, it puts the body in a state where it is being regenerated. The result of that regeneration when waking up is a reinvigorated and energized spirit to conquer the day’s tasks.

Yes, it gives a boost in whatever task is done, so productivity is at its peak. Ever wondered why some look low in confidence at the start of the day? It’s partly because of no sleep.

2. Helps to prevent illness and disease
As stated earlier, a lack of good sleep can lead to a host of illness and be the start of certain conditions all previously listed above.

When good sleep is in effect, there’s a natural healing process taking place in the body to keep organs in good shape. Yes, as sleep takes place, it gives room for the heart, lungs, the brain to equally relax. So when next you think sleep isn’t important, just realise you’re doing a lot of harm to your body.

3. Keeps the skin fresh
One thing good sleep does is it helps in making the skin look good. When one sleeps well, the skin removes toxins, repairs damaged cells, replaces aging cells, and creates new ones. The result is a radiant, fresher, younger look.

If you deprive yourself of sleep, it will reflect on the skin and its usually not a nice outcome. So think well if you want to stay looking fresh as you age.

4. Makes the body strong
By having quality sleep, opportunity is given to the body to relax as previously stated and this is more strength for organs in the body such as the brain, heart, lungs, stomach, the bones among many others, to function as they should.

When there’s lack of sleep, it puts pressure on these organs, forcing them to work on overdrive which can be catastrophic health wise.

5. Gives you good thoughts
When you sleep well, you wake up feeling energized and revitalized and this will lead to having good thoughts and a positive mind.

A lack of good sleep coupled with a troubled mind means one will wake up with those lingering problems which is likely to see one having a bad day, but when one gets quality sleep, the mind is refreshed, giving room to start the day afresh with no worries.

It’s usually recommended that one gets a minimum seven to eight hours at night. While this might not be possible for some, we’ve got to ensure we make room to have that quality sleep even if its at different shorter times.

If you’re part of the “sleep is for the weak” school of thought, then think again very well. Remember say, “body no be firewood”.