There is a common misconception in today's society that sleep is a luxury, not a necessity. Luckily, today’s society also has easy access to uncanny amounts of information about sleep through the internet. Yet, people still deprive themselves of sleep.
We are here to shed a huge spotlight on just how important sleep is. The right amount of quality sleep is undeniably essential for keeping just about every organ and biological process healthy and functioning. This also includes healing any pain you might feel throughout your body. Sleep is your body’s time to work on itself. Even if you think that you are getting enough sleep, your old mattress could be interrupting that. When the body is not in a proper sleeping position, it cannot properly heal itself, but more on that here.
without further adieu, check out these incredible ways the body heals and protects itself during sleep.
1) Strengthening Bones
Studies show that getting enough sleep is necessary for strengthening and protecting bones (this includes the connecting tendons, ligaments, and cartilage).
Specifically speaking, the spine, requires stress relief at night to keep the back aligned and pain-free. That’s why it’s important to invest in a proper mattress that properly supports the curvature of the spine such as the ThevoRelief. The spine, in particular, greatly benefits from adequate sleep. The spine works hard all day supporting the body and its functions. If you don’t maintain the curves, you increase the stress on the bones and muscles of your back and that can lead to chronic back pain. This is why having a proper mattress is so important. For example, depending on the sleeping position, a mattress that may be sagging in the wrong areas can cause your thoracic curve to overextend, this can also put extra strain on the area as well as on the neck or the cervical section of the spine resulting in neck pain or stiffness.
Having a healthy spine is the answer to many problems. All bodily functions are controlled by the brain and nervous system through the spine. The spine does it all. It protects, connects, and delivers nervous system impulses to and from all parts of your body. When your spine is healthy, your nervous system communication works fluidly. The right sleeping surface is of paramount importance to ensure this.
2) Protecting the heart
Studies show that a lack of sleep affects the body’s sympathetic nervous system. This causes an overproduction of adrenaline. Your body works extra hard to keep yourself alert as a precaution to your exhausted state. When the body is too revved up from adrenaline, the heart works harder to keep the body ready for action. If lack of sleep happens on a regular basis, this extra blood pumping can cause heart attacks, high cholesterol, stroke, coronary artery disease, and even congestive heart failure.
3) Promoting skin health
Just think about it, how else is your skin going to glow unless you give it time to recharge? Sleeping well at night keeps skin healthy, youthful, and vibrant. Lack of sleep makes the body produce extra cortisol, the body’s stress hormone (hello, acne!). High cortisol causes inflammation, which contributes to the breakdown of skin collagen. A reduction in collagen causes the skin to age (hello, wrinkles!). Think about how you look after a sleepless night or two. Dark circles under the eyes, swollen eyelids, and premature wrinkles. Get enough sleep and let your body age at the normal rate, don’t accelerate it!
4) Maintaining a healthy weight & metabolism
Did you know sleep deprivation increases hunger by disrupting the balance between the appetite-regulating hormones, ghrelin, and leptin? This also slows your metabolism. Ghrelin signals the body to eat while leptin tells the body it’s full. Not getting enough sleep reduces the body’s level of leptin and increases ghrelin levels, which can lead to weight gain.
Side note: sleep deprivation can also lead to insulin resistance, which can increase the risk of diabetes. Is skipping out on sleep really worth it?
5) Brain Health
Sleep is your brain’s chance to process all that it took in that day. The brain stays active during sleep as it acquires and consolidates new information. Just think about how much new information you most likely process during one day of work. This creates new pathways in your brain. Those new paths become information to be recalled later. During healthy sleep, the brain strengthens its problem-solving and decision-making skills. Think about when you’re really tired. Do you feel slower, spacey or unable to use your brain as you usually do? Yes, this is normal but that does not mean that it is healthy or should be done regularly.
Sleep also allows the brain to rest, repair, and grow new cells. Each night, the brain removes toxins that are built up during waking hours to allow the brain to function normally the next day. Sleep is crucial for maintaining your brain health.
These are just a few ways that the body detoxes, heals and reinforces itself during sleep. Getting yourself a mattress that focuses on health and wellness is an investment for a healthier future and happier days. Give yourself a little self-love by setting yourself up to be the best that you can be!