Article Summary: Benefits of Sleep

Article Summary: Benefits of Sleep The article, “Benefits of Sleep”1 falls under the scientific category of psychology. The author Jules Sowder explains how sleep is required in everything we do in life. With a good night’s sleep comes clearer thoughts, stable emotions, and better overall health. For example, benefits can include body repair, a healthier heart, reduced stress, improved memory, controlled body weight, lowered chance of diabetes, and fewer occurrences of mood disorders. Sleep is probably the best thing you could do to feel healthier. When sleep is used in correct amounts, its effects our magnified. Newborns require as much as 12 to 18 hours of sleep a day! Teenagers on the other hand demand 8 to 9 hours of sleep. Adults only need 7 to 9 hours of sleep. According to the article, people who get the appropriate amount of sleep experience longer, healthier lives due to chemical reactions and processes which take place in our bodies at night. For starters, sleep helps repair your body because more proteins are produced during sleep. These disease fighting molecules rid your immune system of pollutants and infectious bacteria when you are awake. Furthermore, sleep helps keep your heart healthy by reducing stress and inflammation in your body. Sleep can also reduce stress by lowering blood pressure and relieving elevated stress hormones. Less stress means more relaxation and less “wear and tear” on your body. In addition, sleep can help you improve your memory by giving your brain a time to sort through its thoughts. A lack of sleep can lead to memory problems with remembering faces, lessons, or even conversations. Believe it or not, sleep can also help you lose weight! Sleep regulates hormones that affect and control your appetite. When deprived of sleep, these hormones are unbalanced and your appetite for high calorie foods increases. Moreover, research has shown that sleep deprivation may slow glucose production, ultimately