Do you know just how powerful and beneficial a good night’s sleep can be? This was something which I honestly never understood the complexities of until I saw a recent speech by the incredible Dr. David Crawford about what happens to the body when it doesn’t get enough high quality sleep. Dr. Crawford was making some incredible points and it really shook me up after I considered just how much sleep I get. In fact I hadn’t realized that there was such a difference between a good night’s sleep, and a sleep which is of very low quality. If you are worried about your levels of sleep, here are some of the key points which Dr. Crawford made during his speech.
Later Life
Did you know that we have found connections between issues like dementia and Alzheimer’s and those who don’t sleep well enough for long periods of time? We have also found links between those who have lacked sleep and heart health. This quite literally means that if you are not getting enough sleep during your life, that you could be directly contributing towards your health in later life.
Functionality
Dr. Crawford spoke at length about what happens to the brain when you are in a deep sleep. This is when the brain digests everything that has gone on during the day, all the moments and learning which it has made, during deep sleep it files all of this data away in the various categories within the brain, and it also rests ahead of a new day. If you do not get the level of high quality sleep which your body needs then you are going to have difficulties with your brain functionality the next day. This is why after a poor night of sleep our minds can feel muddled and organization and focus is something which we find more difficult. It is because we have not given our brains enough time to rest, recover and process.
Energy Levels
Energy levels are of course very poor after a bad night of sleep and this is because our muscles and the body’s chemicals have not had enough time to recover after a long day. This is essential as during deep sleep our bodies repair cells which contribute towards our energy levels the following day.
Skin
When you haven’t had a good night’s sleep and you begin to look tired, your skin begins to sage or look dry and wrinkled, this is because your body is not properly hydrated and because it has not been given the opportunity to grow new cells and rejuvenate. Our skin is an important organ and it is one which we must care for. One of the easiest ways to do that is to ensure that you are getting enough high quality sleep each and every night.
You should be looking to sleep for between 7-9 hours each night, and that means high quality sleep.
