Sleep is essential to living. Whether you have noticed it or not, poor sleep can affect your energy, moods, motivation, appetite and more.
Sleep is essential to living, yet it is often the first thing we sacrifice when we are stressed, need more time, or want to push our social life.
Sleep helps us to heal faster when we are sick, rejuvenate when we push ourselves, perform when we need it and recharge from our day-to-day activities. Without enough quality sleep not only do we get the yawns, but we place an extra burden on our body to perform, as per normal, but with only part of the energy that we normally have. Sacrificing sleep on a regular basis can start to leave ‘cracks’ in your health, leading to ongoing poor energy, motivation, moods, appetite etc.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, there is no magic number of hours that humans need each night. Generally, it is recommended to get between 7-9 hours of quality sleep, with some populations requiring more (teenagers), and some require less (elderly). Ideally, you are aiming for enough sleep to leave you feeling refreshed in the morning.
Good news! If you miss your 7-9 hours tonight, you can catch up on it tomorrow. There is such a thing as a sleep debt and it can be paid back! But you only have one maybe two nights to pay that debt, and you can only borrow about 2 hours at a time – This is a very new concept and the exact details are still being developed.
For some, sleep is magical, and for others it is seen as a waste of time. Whatever your thoughts, it is essential to health and should be highly regarded in your health routine.
About The Author - Samantha Mainland
Samantha is a highly educated Naturopath having graduated from both Southern Cross University with a Bachelor of Naturopathy, and University of Tasmania with a Bachelor of Medicine Management with Professional Honours in Complementary Medicine.