Let me start this blog by saying that I believe wellness and sickness are on a spectrum. The more things we do that encourage wellness, generally the healthier we will be. Knowing this, I am often hesitant to state that one aspect of health and wellness is more important than any other. With one exception - Sleep.
Sleep deprivation has been proven to directly cause, or to be associated with, many health issues. It seems as if every month scientists and researchers discover more negative consequences of inadequate or poor sleep, and more positive effects of adequate and high-quality sleep. I will (far too briefly) touch on some of these consequences in the following paragraphs, but please know there are countless papers and articles that can expand on some of the points below.
Low sleep has been associated with obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and more. Multiple research studies have proven that sleep deprivation will cause a decrease in glucose tolerance, and also alters endocrine function. There are even more studies that suggest even one night of sleep deprivation - 6 hours or less - can cause insulin resistance (this makes one wonder, if insulin resistance can occur after just one night of low sleep, what will chronic sleep deprivation do?).
Lack of sleep also affects the thyroid. When deprived of sleep, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) increases significantly, and remains elevated throughout the day. In addition, low sleep may be a major underlying issue associated with cancer. This is because oxidative stress will form reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS overpower our antioxidant capabilities, which means we are at an increased risk for almost all modern diseases.
Another thing to consider is that sleep deprivation will hinder our performance in the gym, at work, and even at home. Hundreds of studies have all resulted in data that suggests overall sleep deprivation negatively impairs human functioning, mood, motor planning, and general cognition.
So, I think you get it. I hope you get it. Sleep is important. But how much sleep should you get? And how?
It is generally agreed that adults should get 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. This means sleeping in a cold, quiet, pitch black room (I’m talking no lights, y’all. None whatsoever.). In order to help ensure that you can fall asleep, and stay asleep, it is also important to eliminate blue light before bed, and to make sure you are properly fed and hydrated (remember the article on hydration, and how we’re really talking about proper electrolyte balance? Why yes, you can read that article next!).
The thing is, there is so much to be said on this subject. You can go as deep down the rabbit hole on any single one of these points, and possibly never run out of new information to discover. And if that’s what you’re into, good for you! If not, however, just know that getting adequate and high-quality sleep is absolutely crucial. Whether or not you choose to dive into the research and the details, just know that you will look, feel, and perform better when your body is properly rested.
To sum it all up much more concisely than I have, I will leave you with a quote from one of my favorite scientists:
“Sleep as much as you can without getting fired or divorced.” - Robb Wolf