  The importance of getting a good night’s sleep on a regular basis is often overlooked. Some people view sleeping as the most unproductive activity of their day and will go to great lengths to stay up all night to get more work done, especially when deadlines have to be met.
While this strategy may provide more time to complete the presentation, the negative effects of sleep deprivation such as drowsiness, irritable mood, headaches and concentration problems are likely to affect their performance during the following days. Sleep is an essential part of our lives and a remarkably productive activity that rejuvenates both the brain and body. It is recommended that you get 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Why is sleep so important? Sleep Controls Weight Gain Studies have shown that there is a strong link between weight gain and lack of sleep. Sleep deprived children and adults tend to weigh more than those who get enough sleep. As a matter of fact, inadequate sleep is considered a strong risk factor for becoming overweight or obese. It is believed that inadequate sleep reduces the motivation to exercise and affects the release of hormones that control weight. Therefore, if you are trying to lose weight, ensure that you are getting enough sleep on a daily basis. Boost Concentration and Productivity Poor sleep affects the productivity, performance, cognition and concentration of your brain. In fact, research has shown that not getting enough sleep impairs certain brain functions to a similar extent as alcohol intoxication. On the other hand, good sleep improves memory, performance and problem solving skills, thus making you more productive. Reduce the Risk of accidents Sleep deprivation increases the chances of causing road accidents. Being tired behind the wheel is just as dangerous as drunk driving. Operating heavy machinery at work after a night of inadequate sleep puts you and others at risk of injury. By getting enough sleep every night, you highly reduce the chances of causing accidents. Lower Your Risk of Developing Heart Disease Those who suffer from sleeping disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, stroke and heart attack. A study published by the European Heart Journal points out that people who have problems staying asleep, falling asleep and who wake up feeling tired have a higher chance of developing heart failure over an 11 year period. If you suffer from a sleeping disorder, getting help can help restore your sleep cycle and lower your risk of developing heart diseases. Beat Depression A common complain amongst patients with depression is poor sleep quality. Sleep cycle undergoes fives stages. The fifth stage, REM (Rapid Eye Movement), in particular is essential as it is in this stage that people dream and mentally process the events of the previous day. In most cases, people who suffer from sleeping disorders are also found to suffer from depression, anxiety or other mental illnesses. Getting adequate sleep is crucial if you are to treat depression successfully. Sleep Boosts your Immune System Even a few hours of lost sleep are enough to impair your immune function. A two week study carried out to find out the effects of sleep on the immune system showed that candidates that slept less than 7 hours were three times more likely to develop a common cold compared to those who slept for at least 8 hours. If you find yourself battling a cold every now and then, getting a good night’s sleep regularly might be the answer. Now that we know the benefits of sleep and the damage that sleep deprivation does to our bodies let’s look at some natural hacks that can help you sleep better. Supplements Not getting enough nutrients from the foods we consume can be the cause of poor sleep. Just as nutrition affects our overall health it also affects sleep. In today’s fast paced world, more and more people are opting for fast foods that offer little nutrition value. When fruits and vegetables are picked from the farm before they are ripe, so that they can be shipped, the amount of vitamins and healthy nutrients we get from eating them is reduced. For this reason, rather than going for sleeping pills, it is helpful to take supplements such as DREAM that supply your body with key nutrients needed for healthy sleep. DREAM consists of a number of natural ingredients:
This one, DREAM, is my personal favorite and contains nearly all of the above mentioned ingredients. As all ingredients of DREAM are natural, no side effects are suffered from the daily usage of this supplement! Establish a Daily Routine Our brains are quite good at picking up habits. Waking up and going to bed at the same time every day trains your mind to switch on and off at particular times of the day. This is why it's possible for some people to wake up at almost exactly the same time every morning even without the help of an alarm clock. Giving up certain habits especially before bed could be you answer to getting better sleep. Bad habits include watching TV in bed or spending hours on social media while you should be asleep. Coffee and other drugs such as alcohol should also be avoided hours before bed time as they are known to affect sleeping patterns. Check your room temperature and Lighting Keeping your bedroom completely dark boosts the production of melatonin which is a potent antioxidant that promotes optimal sleep and regulates sleep cycles. Even a little amount of ambient light from your Smartphone is enough to disrupt melatonin production. Keeping your bedroom at around 65 degrees Fahrenheit is considered conducive for sleep. Getting the perfect balance between your pajamas, air conditioner and bed covers can help you get to sleep faster and turn you into a sleeping beauty.
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