Key takeaways

  • Regularly sleeping less than you need can harm your health and safety. Most adults do best with 7 to 9 hours per night.
  • Getting at least 7 hours of sleep may support weight management by affecting hunger hormones like ghrelin and leptin, appetite, and cravings for high sugar, high fat foods.
  • Quality sleep can help improve concentration, memory, and productivity, while also supporting athletic performance, heart health, and more stable emotions and social interactions.

Getting a good night’s sleep is incredibly important for your health. In fact, it’s just as important as eating a balanced, nutritious diet and exercising. Most people need 7 to 9 hours.

Here are five reasons why getting more sleep can help support your body and mind.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommends that adults get 7 or more hours of sleep per night.

A 2020 analysis found that adults who slept fewer than 7 hours per night had a 41% increased risk of developing obesity. Meanwhile, sleeping longer didn’t increase the risk.

The effect of sleep on weight gain is believed to be affected by numerous factors, including hormones and motivation to exercise.

For instance, sleep deprivation increases levels of ghrelin and decreases levels of leptin. Ghrelin is a hormone that makes us feel hungry while leptin makes us feel full. This may cause us to feel hungrier and overeat.

This is supported by a 2020 study that has shown that sleep-deprived individuals have a bigger appetite and tend to eat more calories.

What’s more, to compensate for lack of energy, sleep deprivation may make you crave foods that are higher in sugar and fat due to their higher calorie content.

Cognition, concentration, productivity, and performance are all negatively affected by sleep deprivation.

A 2020 study involving overworked physicians provides a good example. It found that doctors with moderate, high, and very high sleep-related impairment were 54%, 96%, and 97%, respectively, more likely to report clinically significant medical errors.

On a similar note, getting enough sleep can improve academic performance in children, adolescents, and young adults.

Finally, good sleep has been shown to improve problem-solving skills and performance in both children and adults.

Adequate sleep can enhance fine motor skills, reaction time, muscular power, muscular endurance, and problem-solving skills.

What’s more, lack of sleep may increase your risk of injury and lower your motivation to exercise.

So, getting enough sleep may be just the thing you need to take your performance to the next level.

Low sleep quality and duration may increase your risk of developing heart disease.

One analysis of 19 studies found that sleeping fewer than 7 hours per day resulted in a 13% increased risk of death from heart disease.

What’s more, short sleep appears to increase the risk of high blood pressure, especially in those with obstructive sleep apnea — a condition characterized by interrupted breathing during sleep.

When we’re tired, we have a harder time managing emotional outbursts and other behaviors in front of others. Tiredness may also affect our ability to respond to humor and show empathy. When we haven’t slept enough, we may be grumpy and irritable.

Plus, a loss of sleep may result in less engagement in social activities due to decreased motivation, and when social experiences do occur, it may be more difficult to foster positive emotions and feelings of connectedness.

If you live with loneliness or emotional outbursts, don’t be afraid to reach out to a friend, family member, or healthcare professional to get support.

Along with nutrition and exercise, quality sleep is one of the pillars of health. The American Heart Association has called it one of Life’s Essential 8.

Though individual needs vary, most research suggests that you should get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night for optimal health.

Just like you prioritize your diet and physical activity, it’s time to give sleep the attention it deserves.