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5 Life-Changing Benefits of Better Sleep
When you’re tired, there’s nothing like a good night’s sleep to recharge your batteries and help you feel more rested and energized. Unfortunately, millions of Americans aren’t getting the sleep they need, leaving them fatigued and at an increased risk of other health problems.
Our team at Atlanta Insomnia and Behavioral Health Services is dedicated to helping people of all genders get the sleep they need through advanced, patient-centered sleep therapy, focused on correcting sleep disorders and setting the stage for better rest.
Here, learn five key ways better sleep can improve your health and wellness — and your quality of life, too.
1. Boosted mood
When you’re tired, it’s a lot more difficult to deal with the stresses of life. Even minor issues can seem a lot bigger when you’re already feeling mentally drained. Over time, sleep problems can lead to mood disorders, too, like depression and anxiety.
When you get adequate sleep, the mood center in your brain is reenergized, too. Chemicals responsible for mood stability are better regulated, and you find it easier to cope with obstacles as they come your way.
Better sleep helps you maintain a more positive attitude that can help at work and in social situations.
2. Improved memory and focus
Poor sleep habits affect your brain in other ways, too. Specifically, inadequate sleep can take a direct toll on your cognitive functions, like memory and concentration. If you’ve ever tried to get through an unusually tedious work assignment after a sleepless night, you’re probably already familiar with this side effect.
On the other hand, a good night’s sleep helps you feel more alert and supports better mental clarity and enhanced cognitive functioning. Sleep resets your brain, regulating key chemicals and strengthening nerve connections so it’s ready to process information more effectively during the day.
3. Enhanced immunity and health
There’s a reason doctors recommend rest when you’re ill. When you sleep, your body has more resources to direct toward activities that support health and wellness, like repairing damaged cells.
Good sleep helps you avoid many of the aches and pains that interfere with daily activities, improving your overall energy and activity levels.
Sleep is also a time when your body strengthens your immune system. A healthy immune system helps your body ward off diseases, and it can help manage damaging inflammation, too.
4. Stronger relationships
When you’re feeling tired and irritable, you’re not the only person affected. It has a big impact on the people around you, too, including your partner, your family members, your friends, and your coworkers.
Better sleep can improve your mood and your ability to deal with minor annoyances that tend to be a part of every relationship. When you’re well-rested, you’re more likely to engage positively with those around you, and your patience and empathy levels improve, too.
5. Decreased risk of chronic diseases
Sleep improves immunity to help fight off acute illnesses, and it plays a big role in avoiding and managing chronic diseases. Sleep is a time when your heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration rate decrease, giving your cardiovascular system time to rest.
On the flip side, poor sleep increases your risk of cardiovascular problems, like heart disease and stroke.
Sleep is also a time when your body regulates insulin, a hormone that helps keep blood sugar levels under control. Adequate sleep helps you manage your weight and maintain an optimal balance between insulin and glucose.
On the other hand, poor sleep increases your risk of Type 2 diabetes and obesity, along with the associated health risks.
Make sleep a priority in your life
In today’s fast-paced, goal-driven society, it’s easy to put sleep on the back burner. But making sleep a priority in your life can actually help you achieve more and enjoy better physical and emotional health.
To learn more about sleep therapy and how we can help you get the quality sleep you need and deserve, request an appointment online or over the phone with our team at Atlanta Insomnia and Behavioral Health Services in Decatur, Georgia, today.