Health Benefits of Deep Sleep
If you are getting the recommended amount of sleep – 7-9 hours every day, you are spending about 1/3 of your life asleep. While this may seem like a lot of time, your body and mind are extremely busy when you are in deep sleep so that you can be healthy, energetic, and productive once you are awake. To clear your doubts, deep sleep is not your normal sleep. It is a state that humans enter several times a night. Deep sleep comes with a wide range of benefits, including:
Strengthens the Immune System
For your body to fight illnesses, the immune system identifies harmful viruses and bacteria in the body and destroys them. Lack of sleep changes the way your immune system works. Achieving deep sleep can help you rest and avoid the worn-out feeling as your body recovers.
Improves Concentration and Productivity
Deep sleep is integral to multiple aspects of brain function. This includes productivity, performance, concentration, and cognition. Various studies have also shown that deep sleep improves problem-solving skills and enhances memory performance in both children and adults.
Maximizes Athletic Performance
Research shows that deep sleep may help increase athletic performance. A recent study shows that deep sleep can significantly improve accuracy, reaction times, speed, and mental-well-being. Less sleep has been associated with functional limitation and poor exercise limitation. Even if it lasts a few hours a night, this kind of sleep can improve many aspects of physical performance. Make sure you include the best workout devices such as the Hand Exerciser Grip Strengthener in case you need rehabilitation strengthening.
Reduces the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Research has shown that deep sleep has a positive impact on blood sugar and increases insulin sensitivity. Poor sleep habits can cause prediabetes in healthy adults in less than six days. Deep sleep can, however, reverse the symptoms of prediabetes and significantly reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Reduces Depression
Mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression are all linked to sleep disorders and poor sleep quality. According to research, 90% of people with depression complain about the quality of their sleep. In fact, poor sleep is strongly associated with an increased risk of suicide in depressed individuals. Over the years, people with sleeping disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia report higher rates of depression than those without. Deep sleep is critical in dealing with all mental disorders, including depression and anxiety.
Other benefits of deep sleep include:
- Cell regeneration
- Energy restoration
- Promoting the growth and repair of bones and tissues
- Increasing blood supply to muscles
How Much Deep Sleep do You Need?
Factually, deep sleep decreases with age. Those under 30 may get 2-3 hours of deep sleep every night. Those over 65 may get 30 minutes of deep sleep each night, but some get none at all! There is no universal requirement for deep sleep. However, young people should get it more, since it promotes growth and development. Older people still need it, but lack of it doesn’t always translate to a sleep disorder.
Tips for Promoting Deep Sleep
Here are some tips that can increase your chances of getting deep sleep:
- Have a bedtime schedule where you go to sleep and get up at the same time each day.
- Drink water and other decaffeinated drinks before going to bed. Alcohol and caffeine may make it challenging to get a good night’s sleep.
- Create a bedtime routine to unwind every day, like taking a warm bath or reading a book.
- Remove loud noises and bright lights from your bedroom.
- Replace your pillows regularly for enhanced comfort.
- Invest in a good sleep monitor such as the LOOKEE® Wrist Sleep Monitor.