Sleep Does More For You Than You Know: The Benefits of Sleep
What are the benefits of sleep? We spend approximately one-third of our life sleeping! How does sleep help us (beyond just not being tired)?
The National Sleep Foundation reminds us of some of the benefits of sleep and why we need to ensure we get to bed at night at a reasonable hour with its article How Sleep Works. To keep our bodies working at an optimum level to complete that scroll of daily tasks, we need to take care of it!
We need to nourish our bodies with healthy foods, maintain a regular exercise regimen, do our best to decrease exposure to harmful chemicals and prioritize sleep.
Benefits of Sleep
- Sleep Helps You Feel Refreshed
Your brain is busy restoring itself while you sleep. While you’re awake, specific neurons in the brain are actively producing a chemical called adenosine, which is a by-product of cell activities. When this chemical builds up, it causes you to feel sleepy. While you’re busy catching up on zzz’s, your body clears itself of adenosine, which allows you to awaken feeling alert and refreshed rather than tired.
- It Repairs Tissues and Helps Them Grow
Sleep provides an opportunity for rejuvenation. Many of the critical restorative functions in the body—like tissue repair and muscle growth—occur mostly or only during sleep.
- Sleep Relaxes Muscles
During REM sleep, muscles relax, which can help relieve tension and reduce symptoms of certain types of chronic pain. Just like you couldn’t mentally focus for 24 hours straight at your day job, your body needs a break to chill out so it can conquer the next day with gusto.
While there is still a lot left to be discovered about how to improve sleep, and what exactly the body is accomplishing while you do so, one thing remains clear: sleep is vitally essential when refreshing and reviving the body and mind. You can experience the benefits of sleep every night!
So sleep tight! And for daily healthy sleep information, find and follow The Clean Bedroom on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.
First published on October 7, 2015.
Updated January 2025