Do you think you get enough sleep? Is getting enough sleep important to you? Many people underestimate the power of sleep. I certainly did. On average, I would get 5 to 6 hours a night because I would stay up and play Valorant or watch YouTube shorts. Honestly, I didn’t really get tired until late at night. But school starts early, and I would have to wake up at 7am to get to school. This lack of sleep was particularly detrimental to my performance in school and my sports, cross country and tennis. 

This year, on my very first math test, I scored a lot lower than I had hoped, and a big part of the reason why was because I was sleep-deprived. My mind during the test was foggy and could not process the simplest of calculations. After this test, I knew I had to make a big change. I started to go to bed at 9pm on the nights before tests and have gotten better grades on all my math tests. I credit a large part of this success to simply getting enough sleep. And during sports seasons, I found that if I didn’t get enough sleep, I couldn’t run or play tennis the way that I knew I could. Even worse, I found that the times I got injured were when I was over-tired. For me, sleep is protective. I now make a point of going to sleep as early as I can.

I’ve learned a few facts about the importance of sleep. Sleep helps people process new information, working memory, reaction time and executive function. One interesting fact that surprised me is that sleep helps digestion. One fact that was particularly scary was that lack of sleep is linked to obesity and higher suicide rates. All of this is enough to convince me to keep on getting enough sleep.

Here are my top 5 reasons to get more sleep

It helps you maintain a healthy weight. Getting enough sleep has been scientifically proven to help the body lose weight or maintain weight. Lack of sleep leads to overeating because the hormone that tells us we are full is blunted when we don’t get enough sleep. And the hormone that tells us we are hungry is increased when we don’t get enough sleep. So it’s a double whammy. Also, sleep deprivation causes people to make poor decisions which can lead to overeating.  Heathline

It sets up a healthy routine. I learned that getting into the routine of 8 hours of sleep every night is important for a lot of reasons. A routine can help get your body into its natural circadian rhythms. When you get into the habit of going to sleep at the same time every night, it makes it easier for your body to not only fall asleep, but also to wake up. Our bodies like routine. The habit of going to sleep at the same time every night is like a little guy in your brain saying “Oh it’s ten pm, time to sleep.” It is also important to build a routine of doing similar things before sleeping to really build the habit.

Getting enough sleep helps your brain work better. There is no getting around it. Getting enough sleep helps people think more clearly and have less brain fog. It has been shown that more successful students get more sleep compared to their classmates who get less sleep. When you get enough sleep, your brain can work at a higher level because your neurons are firing quicker. A study by Washington University in St. Louis found that “The students who reported the most stable, consistent sleep patterns earned a GPA of 3.66, on average, while the students with the most variable sleep earned a GPA of 3.21.” This is a big grade difference, which could be due to clearer and faster thinking. Scientists have learned that memory consolidation happens during REM sleep, which only happens AFTER 4 hours of sleep. It is during REM sleep that your brain stores more memories into long term memory. Having information in your long term memory can help you remember a formula you need for your next test. Washington University

Getting enough sleep helps your mental health. Mental health is very important in life because if our brains are not working well, it is difficult to do the things we want to do in life. It has been proven that people with anxiety, depression, or ADHD suffer from poor sleep. Poor sleep has also been shown to increase negative emotional responses to stressors and decrease positive emotions. Even normal, healthy people have been shown to develop symptoms of anxiety and depression when they don’t get enough sleep. And it’s even worse for people with existing mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, or ADHD. People who suffer from these conditions have found that their symptoms worsen when they don’t get enough sleep. In general, sleep helps our brains to exist in a relaxed state. When it doesn’t get enough sleep, your brain is stressed, sounding alarms, trying to get the sleep it so desperately craves. 

Getting enough sleep helps your body fight off germs. Lack of sleep can affect your immune system in a very negative way. Studies have shown that people who don’t get quality sleep or enough sleep are much more likely to get sick. Lack of sleep can also affect the speed at which you recover when you do get sick. This is because of the process occurring in your body while you sleep. During sleep, your immune system releases proteins called cytokines, some of which help promote sleep. Specific cytokines need to increase when you have an infection or inflammation or when you’re stressed. Sleep deprivation may lead to a decreased production of these defensive cytokines. In addition, infection-fighting antibodies and cells are reduced in number during the periods of time when you don’t get enough sleep. Therefore, your body needs enough sleep to fight infectious diseases. Long-term lack of sleep can also increase your risk of diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. 

Final Thoughts

I’ve learned that sleep is essential for me to do my best. But sleep is a lot more than just doing well at cross country meets or getting a good grade on a test. Getting enough sleep is a big part of staying healthy, mentally and physically. Okay, it’s getting late, time to go to sleep!