By Patricia Uyeh

Ever wonder why you wake up in the morning and feel cranky? It could be as result of insufficient sleep. Adequate sleep can benefit the heart, body and mind. Sleep makes us feel better. It also banishes mood swings and under-eye circles. The health benefits of sleep can not be overemphasized. Just as man needs food to survive so does he need sleep to stay healthy and wise. Below are surprising health benefits of sleep:

1. Sleep improves our memory: Do you know that the mind is busy working while we are aslies eep? Research shows that if you are trying to learn something new, you are likely to perform better after sleeping.

2. Sleep makes us live longer: Sleep affects the quality of life. Too much or too little sleep has beeb linked to shorter life span. In a 2010 study of women ages 50 to 79, more deaths occurred in women who got less than five hours or more than six and a half hours of sleep per night. If you sleep better, you are likely to live better.

3. Sleep unleashes creativity: Researchers at Harvard University and Boston College found that people seem to strengthen the emotional components of a memory during sleep, which may help spur the creative process. The brain appears to be reorganised and restructured after a good sleep.

4. Sleep makes you win: Athletes know this rule that if they want to perform better, they have got to sleep better too.A Stanford University study found that college football players who tried to sleep at least 10 hours a night for seven to eight weeks improved their average sprint time and had less daytime fatigue and more stamina.

5. Sleep boosts intelligence: Children between the ages of 10 and 16 who have sleep disordered breathing, which includes snoring, sleep apnea, and other types of interrupted breathing during sleep, are more likely to have problems with attention and learning, according to a 2010 study in the journal Sleep. In another study, college students who didn’t get enough sleep had worse grades than those who did.

6. Sleep sharpens attention: Study shows that those who were deprived of sleep had ability to focus unlike those who slept well. A 2009 study in the journal Pediatrics found that children ages seven and eight who got less than about eight hours of sleep a night were more likely to be hyperactive, inattentive, and impulsive.

7. Sleep makes us have healthy weight: Are you are thinking of going on a diet? Then you might want to plan an earlier bedtime too. Researchers at the University of Chicago found that dieters who were well rested lost more fat—56% of their weight loss—than those who were sleep deprived, who lost more muscle mass.

8. Sleep reduces stress: Sleep lowers stress levels and with that people can have better control of their blood pressure.Sleep is known to affect cholesterol levels. This plays a significant role in heart diseases.

9. Sleep prevents accidents: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in 2009 that being tired accounted for the highest number of fatal single-car run-off-the-road crashes due to the driver’s performance—even more than alcohol!
“Sleepiness is grossly underrated as a problem by most people, but the cost to society is enormous,” Dr. Rapoport says. “Sleeplessness affects reaction time and decision making.” Insufficient sleep is as bad as having alcoholic drink when about to drive.

10. Sleep eliminates depression: Lack of adequate sleep has been associated with depression. Sleeping well means more to our overall well-being than simply avoiding irritability. Doctors say that lack of sleep contribute to depression and that a moody person can become lively with just a good night’s sleep. Emotional stability comes with a good sleep.

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