We’re often told that getting a full eight hours of sleep every night is the golden rule. From a better overall state of wellbeing, to great looks and better mental health, there are heaps of benefits to making sure you consistently get good shut eye sessions. 

THE BENEFITS OF BETTER NIGHTS

Getting your ZZZ’s every night benefits your mind and body big time. Not only will enough snoozing time help you feel brighter and sharper the next day. Here’s why you should give yourself enough resting time every night: 

1: An organic brain boost 

Running low sleep will affect your brain capacity and memory big time. A single restless night can leave you feeling frazzled, make it harder for you to concentrate and lead to difficulty in retaining information. Getting your shut-eye sessions allows your brain to catch up so you’re ready to tackle the world again come morning. 

2: You’ll be in a better mood 

‘Getting up on the right side of the bed’ is a real thing. Getting enough sleep significantly improves your mood and helps you feel like the best version of yourself. Not only does sleep help you feel better, but it’s been proven to majorly benefit your mental health too. Studies have even shown that having insomnia makes you five times more likely to develop depression.

3: Sleep will improve your heart health 

Not getting enough sleep can lead to heart problems. When you sleep, your blood pressure goes down, giving your blood vessels some time to rest. It’s been proven that not getting enough sleep can even lead to serious problems like increased blood pressure and heart attacks. 

HOW TO SLEEP BETTER 

The hustle & bustle of modern life can really affect your capability to rest up and relax. From finding ways to get your brain to unplug, to making sure you create a calming environment that benefits your bedtime, there are many tricks of the trade to help you make the most out of your snoozing sessions. 

1: Keep in sync with your body’s natural sleep cycle  

When trying to get better snoozing time, consistency is key. Trying to make sure you go to bed and wake up at a similar time on a daily basis plays a massive part in optimising your body’s internal clock. A regular sleep schedule leaves you feeling more refreshed and energised.  

2: Let your diet lead the way to better nights 

Your eating habits play a massive part in the way you sleep - especially what you consume before bedtime! Sugary foods and refined carbs can trigger wakefulness at night and pull you out of your deep, restorative state of sleep. 

3: Do not use nicotine before bed 

Whilst many people are firm believers that smoking helps them relax and sleep better, smoking is actually the enemy of restful nights. In fact, nicotine consumption can be one of the main reasons you can’t sleep. Nicotine is a stimulant that masks exhaustion, causing you to miss out on precious snoozing time. 

4: Create a sleep-inducing atmosphere 

The environment you’re in can majorly impact the way you sleep. From the amount of light in your room, to temperature and noise levels, creating the best sleep-inducing set-up will bring heaps of benefits to your quest of unlocking peaceful nights. 

5: Indulge in some aromatherapy 

Holistic herbal remedies can be life-savers when it comes to helping you switch off and snooze. The calming properties of sense-soothing plant extracts such as Lavender and Chamomile are bound to induce some serenity into your space. Aromatherapy and sleep have been going hand in hand for centuries, and the market for holistic bedtime remedies is only set to expand in the coming years. 

6: Exercise during the day 

Exercising regularly can do wonders for your overall state of mind and general health. That being said, working out before bed can heavily disrupt your sleep pattern. That post-workout energy burst is real, and it is bound to keep you up ‘till the late hours. Aim to finish your workout sesh at least 3-4 hours before bedtime to ensure you get your peaceful ZZZ’s. 

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON’T GET ENOUGH SLEEP 

From lowering your immune system, to affecting your sex drive - missing out on sleep can severely impact all aspects of your life. The effects of sleep deprivation are hard to combat, and even losing one night of sleep can impact your overall state of wellbeing; in fact, even after seventeen hours of not sleeping, your judgement, memory and cognitive function start to suffer. 

Here’s what your body goes through when you regularly miss out on sleep: 

1: You’ll end up getting ill more often 

Missing out on restful nights can weaken your body’s ability to fight off illness. There is a tight-knit relationship between lack of sleep and illness, with your body needing regular shut-eye sessions to be able to fight off illnesses and protect you from diseases. 

2: Your heart will suffer 

Sleeping less than five hours per night on a regular basis can severely impact your heart health. The less you sleep, the bigger your chances of developing coronary heart disease get. 

3: You’ll have trouble thinking

Not getting your full time of snoozing can greatly impact your brain; from memory issues, to an overall state of cloudiness and dizziness, there are plenty of ways in which your mind reacts to lack of sleep.  

4: Your sex drive will be affected 

A study from 2011 found that little to no sleep lowers testosterone levels in young men by 10 to 15 percent. Another 2015 study which had women as participants revealed that women who got more sleep are more interested in having sex the day after. 

5: It will take a toll on your mental health

Multiple studies have revealed that lack of sleep is strongly linked to depression. Research revealed that people who suffer from mental health issues reportedly have poorer sleep scores. 

6: It will impact your social life 

Not getting enough sleep makes it harder to control your emotions in front of others. A general state of tiredness has also been proven to lower your ability to respond to humor or empathize with those around you. 

THE (BEDTIME) BOTTOM LINE 

Your relationship with sleep impacts all aspects of your life. When next thinking about pulling an all-nighter, remember that allowing your body to relax and reset is bound to boost your overall state of wellbeing. Cuddle up with your ripple+ DREAM and rest up!