Staying up late for a night on the town may seem fun, but why not hit the hay when you’ve really got nothing better to do. Sleep is one of the most important times of our day that really shouldn’t be sacrificed. Our bodies go through long and stressful days that exhaust our bodies without us even being aware of it. To convince you out of your night owl habits, here are a few reasons why sleep is the savoir.
1) Reduces Stress
This is a students dream and every sleep procrastinator’s motto; sleep lowers stress. By getting the recommended 8-10 hours each night you are sure to wake up with a clear mind rather than alert and stress induced.
2) Makes you more active
After a good nights sleep you are sure to have the drive and motivation to hit the gym the next morning and you wont even need to chug a coffee right before. It is also completely cyclical. The more sleep you get, the more active you will be, and this will lead to a longer and better sleep throughout the night.
3) Weight loss
People who sleep 7 or less hours per night are more likely to be overweight and obese. By sleeping the recommended amount, you are able to regulate your hormone levels, mainly ghrelin and leptin that are responsible for regulating appetite.
4) Lowers Risk for Depression
Sleep makes you happy, but really, it does. During sleep our bodies secrete the hormone serotonin, which is responsible for regulating mood. More specifically, high levels of serotonin promote happiness and lower levels put us at risk for depression. After all, no one likes a cranky person who hasn’t had enough time with their pillow.
5) You’ll ace your exam
Well, that may be a bit of a stretch, but paired with the proper studying habits, sleeping at least 8 hours is sure to help you come exam time. Sleep is when what we learned is stored into our long-term memory and more easily accessed for later use. Sleep also helps us be more alert the next day and ready to learn new information.
Photos obtained from:
http://babyandmeaustralia.tumblr.com/post/55852297471/two-precious-cute-…