Quiet sleep, or non-REM sleep is when a person’s brain goes through the process of organizing newly-acquired memories for long-term storage. Since the brain cycles between different stages of sleep throughout the night, not getting enough sleep means less time for consolidation.
One study proved that students who slept between lectures did better on a test, compared to those who didn’t. If you’re a student who has a habit of staying up all night before a big test then you might perform better if you used that time to sleep instead.
Sleep Regulates Your Appetite
One of the reason why sleep is important is because of how it regulates appetite and affects metabolism. This is part of the many reasons why sleep is important. There are two hormones that affect our hunger namely:
- Ghrelin is a hormone produced in the stomach, small intestine, pancreas, and brain. It is often referred to as the “hunger hormone,” because of its primary function which is to stimulate your appetite.
- Leptin is a hormone mainly produced by fat cells. This hormone is referred to as the “satiety hormone” because of how it inhibits hunger. Leptin also maintains body weight.
When you don’t get enough sleep, the amount of ghrelin increases which can stimulate appetite. This is why sleep deprivation puts you at risk of becoming obese or overweight.
Data also shows that those suffering from sleep problems like sleep apnea are more prone to becoming obese because of the lack of activity that results from not having enough energy to exercise or engage in physical activity.
Hence, if you’re trying to stay in shape or trying to lose weight then make sure to incorporate healthy sleeping habits in your diet plan.
Sleep Makes Your Skin Healthier
Sleep also plays an important role in the appearance of the skin. If you’ve ever felt lousy after a night of not getting enough rest, then chances are your skin will feel the same way. Lack of sleep encourages the body to produce cortisol, which is known as the stress hormone.
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