If you’ve ever heard the phrase “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” then you know how much our society devalues sleep. Mounting research shows that the importance of sleep is severely underestimated, while disorders like insomnia and sleep apnea are more and more common. Getting enough sleep - and good quality sleep - is key to living a healthy, long life. Here are the benefits of getting enough sleep, according to science.

A lack of sleep has been linked to impaired immune function, so getting enough sleep is key to protecting yourself from colds and flu. A study compared immune function between people who slept for 5 or less, 5 to 6, and 7 hours or more each night. Those who slept the least were 4.5 times more likely to get a cold compared to those sleeping 7 or more hours a night. People who slept 5 to 6 hours were 4.24 times more likely. 

If you like to exercise, sleep may be the tool you’re missing to boost your athletic performance. Research suggests that a lack of sleep could lower your motivation to exercise and increase your risk of injury. There’s also evidence that getting enough sleep improves your reaction time, muscular endurance, muscular power, and fine motor skills. 

• Insomnia, the most common sleep disorder in the US, is linked with an increased risk of developing heart disease. Meanwhile, obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which your breathing is interrupted while you sleep, is linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure. Research also suggests that getting less than 7 hours of sleep each night can result in a 13% increase in the risk of death due to heart disease. Simply put, sleeping enough and getting good quality sleep is important for avoiding high blood pressure and heart disease. 

Sleep is key for your concentration, cognition, performance, and productivity. For both children and adults, getting good quality sleep is linked to improved memory performance and problem-solving skills. Research also shows that getting adequate sleep improves academic performance for children and young adults. 

If the internal benefits weren’t enough, sleep can also help you lose or maintain weight. This is clearly evidenced in studies of people sleeping fewer than 7 hours per night. One meta-analysis found that sleeping so little results in a 41% increase in your risk of obesity. This is likely because sleep impacts your hormones. 

When you lack sleep, your levels of ghrelin (a hormone that makes you hungry) increase, and your levels of leptin (a hormone that makes you feel full) decrease. As a result, you feel hungrier and tend to crave more sugary and fatty foods once awake. Plus, finding the motivation to work out when you’re tired can seem impossible, making it more likely that you spend your free time on the couch.

As you can see, getting at least seven hours of sleep per night plays a huge role in your overall well-being. Still, 35% of adults don’t get enough sleep, whether due to insomnia, sleep apnea, or other issues. Many people simply struggle to actually get to sleep due to stress and racing thoughts. In addition to good sleep hygiene, Tranquil Boost’s Hemp Sleep Tincture can help you get to sleep fast. The pharmacist formulated all-natural sleep aid uses the power of CBD, CBN, and melatonin to help you slow down and relax, so you can fall asleep effortlessly.