Scientists might still not know as why do we sleep, but they have found that sound and adequate sleep is vital for a healthy and long life. In fact, studies have repeatedly shown that folks who get quantity and quality sleep are less prone to severe diseases such as diabetes, blood pressure, obesity and heart problems.
Now, you might be thinking as how sleep can affect longevity. Here are few explanations that will help you uncover the relation between longevity and good sleep.
Immune System and Sleep
We all know the aftereffects of poor sleep that we experience the next morning, i.e. we feel dizzy with decreased consciousness and find it difficult to perform the routine tasks. Nevertheless, we seldom take into considerationthe long-term impacts on our health. In fact, a huge number of folks have turned habitual to inferior or poor sleep.
Thus, we gradually tend to gain pounds and endure more from flu and common cold without noticing that inferior sleep is one of the reasons for these problems and weakening immunity.
In fact, quality of sleep that a person gets is related to his/her immunity and weight. Studies have proved that sleeping less will change the metabolic passageways that regulate our appetite and thus, we tend to feel hungrier.
In addition, people who sleep for less than seven hours during night are more prone to get sick than the ones who get around eight hours of sleep in night.
How sleep can affect longevity?
Many experts affirm that sleep recharges as well as optimizes our body. Suprachiasmatic nucleus is a part of brain, which regulates hormones and makes various other changes all through the body to make us sleep.
This in turn optimizes the cardiovascular systems and metabolic rates in your body. Nevertheless, if you are struggling with some sleep disorder, then you are at risk of developing other illnesses that might affect your longevity.
REM – The hidden potent of our brain
Getting a sound sleep is not only gauged by the how much a person sleeps, but is also measured by how well a person sleeps. In facts, the deepest stage of sleep, which is the REM stage or phase, is the unsung hero of our brain, as this is the phase where most of the deep neural activity takes place. The activities include maintaining proper oxygen levels and increasing the blood circulation in your body. In addition, brain tissues absorb increased amino acids.
Thus, researchers affirm that good sleepers tend to be sharp thinkers, but are less prone to neurological disorders, especially Alzheimer’s disease.
It is no surprise that the sleeping beauty looked so beautiful and youthful even after being asleep for 100 years. Whilst a person sleeps, the body destroys free radicals, which are accountable for premature ageing. This is the reason why we feel refreshed and rejuvenated after a good sleep.
Furthermore, the cells in our body tend to be more productive when we sleep. This is the time when there is decreased breakdown of the essential proteins in our bodies. Proteins as we all know are the vital building elements of our body and work to produce more cells and restore skin damage resulting to exposure to sun or because of stress. It means that skin damage is restored when we sleep.
Get good sleep during the golden years!
Many people believe that our body needs less sleep when we get older. This is true for most of the phases of life: 9 hours for teens, 10-12 hours for young kids, 7-8 hours for adults and 16-18 hours for the newborns. Nevertheless, elderly folks need more sleep than teens. Elders sleeping for nine or more hours are likely to rejoice their golden years and boost their longevity.
Unluckily, ageing process may deter our sleep. This is due to decrease in the production of melatoninas a person turns old, which is a sleep hormone. Natural supplements of melatonin might lessen this effect.
Although, the ageing process is something that is inevitable for everyone, we may curb its pace by getting adequate sleep to pave our way towards a healthy, longer and fit life.