The Importance of Sleep, Rest and Less Stress

If you have had a child, lived with a new baby, or are close with someone who has had an infant, I have no doubt that you experienced or the parents shared their experience around sleepless nights. I know personally, having lived through raising a child that was up frequently throughout the night, it was one of my darkest periods. My husband and I refer to that period of time as “the tunnel.” Why? Because we felt like we were living in darkness, but we knew that up ahead there was light at the end, we just couldn’t see it while we were in the middle of it.

We are innately born with positive traits such as our outlook, optimism, drive and ability to cope. But our positive traits can be dulled when we are in a period of sleeplessness. Have you ever gotten a terrible or interrupted night’s sleep and immediately felt cranky? This happens when lack of sleep dulls those positive traits, and they are traded in for a sourer outlook.

Sleep is also crucial for managing stress. This is also why living in the tunnel feels so hard. Babies need a lot from their parents, and feeling the stress of their needs in corporation with sleepless nights, creates a compounding effect of the stress/sleep combination. We need sleep to cope with stress and coping is critical for survival.

Here are EIGHT of the benefits of a good night’s sleep:

1. Sleep boosts immune system- As you sleep, your body produces cytokines. Your body needs these to fight an infection or inflammation. The Mayo Clinic explains that sleep deprivation decreases the production of cytokines. Antibodies are also reduced with a sleep deficit. Mayo Clinic 

2. Improves memory- Ever had a sleepless night and you can’t remember your own phone number? Your next door neighbor’s name? Who’s that sleeping on your couch? The National Sleep Foundation studied how sleep effects memory. Their findings led them to believe that as we sleep, memories are shifted to more efficient and permanent brain regions. National Sleep Foundation 

3. Energizes your body- If you’re lucky like me, you wake up like Boss Baby knowing you can WIN THE DAY! Many energizing hormones peak in the night hours. As your tissues and muscles repair, you wake up feeling like your body and mind are ready to GO!

4. More creativity- University of California at Davis researchers used a protocol to quantify creativity increases. Groups who were allowed more REM sleep scored 40% higher on a creativity test post sleep.  studies 

5. Weight maintenance- Sleep deprivation disrupts the body’s ability to properly use insulin, moving fatty acids and lipids from the bloodstream to prevent storage. In addition, when we are tired and low on energy, our brain directs us to higher energy sources like sugars, for an energy spike. We tend to eat more when we are tired than when we are well- rested.

6. Sleep slows the aging process- The Huffington Post studies pre-menopausal women and found sleep deprivation has adverse effects on the skin. Fine lines and wrinkles were deepened, uneven pigmentation and skin elasticity were worse on the women who did not have quality sleep. The Huffington Post

7. Makes you happy- A Gallup Poll found that people who got adequate sleep at night rated their lives as happier than those with inadequate sleep patterns. Well-rested often connects with life satisfaction in studies correlating sleep and happiness.

8. Improves concentration and productivity- Sleep.org explains that those who are sleep-deprived have more trouble focusing on the task in front of them. Rest solidifies learning throughout the day. Even moderate sleep deprivation induces a much slower response time, often worse than alcohol consumers. Sleep.org 

Can you give yourself the gift of a week or good, solid rest? Try making it like a game. Set some small goals for yourself, like going to be 30 minutes earlier than usual. Aim for 9 hours in bed each night. Turn off any screens at least an hour before bed. Give yourself a gold star for each night you get at least seven hours or more. If you currently are living in “the tunnel” with a baby, know that there is light up ahead, and you will get a normal night’s sleep again. Happy Sleeping!