1. Sleep boosts your immune system
When you are young and still in the best of health, you will probably not pay a great deal of attention on whether or not you’re getting enough sleep. Usually, this is because you’re not attuned to the effects … yet.
However, several studies show that lack of sleep weakens our immune system in the long run. It also makes our bodies more susceptible to viruses that will cause several ailments.
On the other hand, if we pay attention to the importance of rest and sleep and by having a good, regular sleep pattern, it will help keep those viruses at bay.
Mayo Clinic explains further:
“During sleep, your immune system releases proteins called cytokines, some of which help promote sleep. Certain cytokines need to increase when you have an infection or inflammation, or when you’re under stress. Sleep deprivation may decrease the production of these protective cytokines. In addition, infection-fighting antibodies and cells are reduced during periods when you don’t get enough sleep.”
2. Sleep improves your memory
Sometimes, it feels like we can’t retain anything we hear, read or see – and apparently one of the causes is lack of sleep. Conversely, getting enough sleep activates something in our brains that will solidify memories.
The National Sleep Foundation did a study to test how our brains can improve our memory. And the researchers tested this process by teaching people new skills and then scanning their brains after a period with or without sleep.
What they found out was this:
“When people have a chance to sleep, for example, after practicing a skill similar to piano scales, the centers of the brain that control speed and accuracy are more active than those regions in people who haven’t slept.”
Thus the scientists think that “while we sleep, memories and skills are shifted to more efficient and permanent brain regions, making for higher proficiency the next day.”
They also found out that sleep also helps us synthesize new ideas, not just remember the old ones.
“While you’re sleeping, pieces of knowledge can be pulled together from different experiences and parts of the brain to create novel concepts or “ah-ha” moments. That’s a big help when you’re trying to solve a problem or make an advance in your work.”