Why you need to ditch working late at night and prioritise your sleep

You may often ignore your sleeping pattern and think only 3/4 hours of sleep will do, but it won't as human beings are not machines and need ample amount of rest for the proper function of the brain and body. People seldom realise that a sufficient amount of sleep is as important as eating a balanced diet and having proper exercise. Lack of sleep can lead to hormonal imbalance and disturb physiological functions.

Here's why you should prioritise your sleep.

Adequate sleep helps to lose weight! 

If you wish to lose some extra weight, you must ensure an adequate amount of sleep.  

Lack of sleep affects hunger hormones, increases BMI (Body Mass Index) and can cause obesity in people of all age.

Sleep-deprived people tend to have increased appetite, which might be the result of sleep's impact on two hunger hormones; ghrelin and leptin.

Ghrelin is released mainly from the stomach and signals hunger in your brain when your stomach is empty. Whereas leptin is released from fat cells and signals the brain to control the excess intake of food.

A study from the PLOS Medicine journal shows that lack of sleep increases ghrelin production and decreases leptin release, resulting in the urge to eat more.

Sleep rejuvenates health

Your body remains active even when you are in sound sleep. During this time, your body works to rebuild worn-down muscles and flushes out the toxins accumulated in your brain during the day. Hence, a sufficient amount of sleep is a must to gain the lost energy and kickstart a fresh new morning. 

Sound sleep increases productivity and concentration

Fatigue caused by sleep deprivation hampers an individual's productivity and concentration level.

For example, according to a study by PubMed, sleep-deprived medical interns made 36% more serious mistakes than those who had a sufficient amount of sleep.

As lack of sleep makes a person drowsy, an individual cannot think out of the box without having a good sleep. Hence, the proper amount of sleep is a must for having a sharper brain.

Good sleep reduces stress and emotional distress

Depression and emotional sensitivity are often liked with sleep deprivation. Good sleep calms and restores the body, boosts mood, improves concentration, and eventually helps to be better at problem-solving and to cope up with stress.

Proper sleep ensures healthier heart and boosts immunity system

Long term sleep deprivation can cause high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease and stroke. As you sleep, your blood pressure goes down, allowing your heart and blood vessels to take a bit of rest.

A group of a protein called 'cytokine' which regulates immune system is released during sleep. Hence, sleep assists in boosting immunity and preventing many diseases.