Blog 15: The Importance of Sleep and its Influence on the Body
- ASHLEIGH HANNAH
- Aug 16, 2020
- 4 min read
Hello everyone and welcome back to another blog! Last week, I discussed another beneficial mental health strategy known as music therapy that can calm the mind and body. It is a therapeutic health exercise that is commonly used for stress reduction and especially helpful if you are musically inclined, and love how the melody of music raises your spirit. Today, I am going to talk about one of the most important topics that college students may neglect, and that is sleep. I will be discussing the influence of sleep on your health, how sleep can affect your appetite, and how late-night indulgences can lead to a sugar health crisis. As an active college student, I am fully aware of how late nights working on homework assignments, studying for exams, or hanging out with friends can lead to a habit of getting less sleep than you should as a growing adult. Those late nights may even lead you to indulge in eating sugary processed foods that are categorized into the widely accepted ‘junk food’ option.
Sleep plays such a vital role in maintaining the healthy function of our bodily systems and without the rest that our bodies require to recover from stressing our bodies everyday could lead to some serious health consequences. Sleep is responsible for playing a role in “. . . brain function and systemic physiology, including metabolism, appetite regulation, and the functioning of immune, hormonal, and cardiovascular systems” (Medic, Wille, & Hemels, 2017, p. 151). According to Susan L. Worley, approximately 70 million people in the United States have at least one sleep disorder and up to 80% of sleep disorders in individuals may go undetected or undiagnosed (Worley, 2018, p. 760). However, in the long run, you should not have to resort to unhealthy nightly habits if you get enough sleep and take care of yourself. According to Susan L. Worley, “. . . people whose daily sleep duration is inadequate, or repeatedly disrupted (e.g., by obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, pain or stress, or shiftwork or jet lag), often are not aware of their accumulating sleep deficits or the toll that these deficits can take on their waking cognitive functions, including their performance, working memory, cognitive speed, and accuracy” (Worley, 2018, p. 759). According to Medic, Wille, & Hemels, not getting enough sleep in otherwise healthy adults could lead to increased stress responsivity, somatic pain, reduced quality of life, emotional distress and mood disorders, and cognitive, memory, and performance deficits (Medic, Wille, & Hemels, 2017, p. 151). Lack of sleep can feed into long term health consequences as well, such as “. . . hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, weight-related issues, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and colorectal cancer (Medic, Wille, & Hemels, 2017, p. 151). The recommended amount of time to sleep for a healthy adult would be “. . . ideally somewhere between 7 and 7 and a half hours (Worley, 2018, p. 759). In my experience, I tend to lean towards 8 or 9 hours because I know my body and it requires a lot of rest to function during the day. Even so, you could take a power nap during the day if 7 and 7 and a half hours of sleep is not enough. You know your body better than anyone else, so if you need more sleep, you should allow your body to rest. However, getting stuck in unhealthy habits is easier than taking the time to take care of your body and being mindful of what is being put into your body, especially if you do not have the energy to make that change due to lack of sleep and a heavy workload. In addition, if you are too exhausted to stay awake during the day, you are bound to resort to energy drinks, soda, coffee, or sugary foods to keep aware and willing to do what you need to do. Unfortunately, this will load your body with added sugars and caffeine that will lead to weight gain and more hours awake at night when your body needs to sleep, leading to a harsh cycle of not taking care of yourself. According to the National Sleep Foundation, “Research by Dr. Van Cauter shows that people who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to have bigger appetites due to the fact that their leptin levels (leptin is an appetite regulating hormone) fall, promoting appetite increase” (The National Sleep Foundation, 2020). Therefore, “It has been argued that consumption of sugars may predispose individuals to increase in adiposity, weight gain and ultimately overweight and obesity” (Rippe & Angelopoulos, 2016, p. 5). With any food choice, you should have it in moderation, but in addition to mindful eating, you should be exercising daily and getting the recommended hours of sleep to make sure that you are truly taking care of yourself and are more likely to stay healthier in the future by forming healthy habits. I know that in your life, it feels like there is never enough time to complete what you need to get done. However, it is important to make time for yourself and exercise, eat properly, and go to sleep on time to truly achieve a happy and healthy lifestyle.
Stay healthy everyone and check out the helpful links I have provided below for further information!
Helpful Links:
Please reach out or comment below on any personal experiences that you feel comfortable sharing!
References:
Medic, G., Wille, M., & Hemels, M. (2017). Short- and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption. Nature and Science of Sleep, 9, 151-161. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5449130/pdf/nss-9-151.pdf
Rippe, J., & Angelopoulos, T. (2016). Relationship between added sugars consumption and chronic disease risk factors: Current understanding. Nutrient, 8(11), 1-19. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5133084/
The National Sleep Foundation. (2020). Diet, exercise and sleep. The National Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/diet-exercise-and-sleep
Worley, S. (2018). The extraordinary importance of sleep. Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 43(12), 758-763. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6281147/pdf/ptj4312758.pdf
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