11 Reasons Why Sleep is Important for Self Growth

Self-growth or personal growth is all about improving your thoughts, behaviors, actions, reactions, and habits to become a better person. There are many ways you can ensure optimum personal growth . Unfortunately, not many people realize that sleep is one the easiest and most practical ways to ensure robust self-growth. Here are 11 reasons why sleep is important for self-growth. 

1. Adds Years to Your Life

Studies show that good quality sleep can add years to your life by lowering your heart disease risk, improving your lipid profile, and maintaining your slow-wave, restful sleep. As such, if you are looking to reach your centennial, you may want to start sleeping in a comfortable mattress that promotes optimum sleep.

Adding more years to your life allows you to enjoy more of what life can give you. You get to appreciate the world and its beauty , including the people who love you. In turn, these things can nourish your soul and provide you with experiences that make you a better person. 

2. Spurs Creativity

Did you know that not sleeping for 17 to 19 hours has the same cognitive-reducing effects as having a 0.05% blood alcohol level? This interesting observation underscores the importance of sleep in one’s creativity . If you want to create the best and grandest design, you should pay more attention to how much sleep you are getting.

Creativity fuels self-growth because it makes you feel proud of what you can accomplish. Creating a product that can solve other people’s problems can be a serious ego booster. 

3. Enhances Concentration and Productivity

Improving yourself hinges on your ability to think about things that can make you better. You have to show focus and determination, allowing you to be more productive in your endeavors. How can you concentrate on those things that matter most if you do not have plenty of restful sleep?

You may want to look at sleep as an essential activity for your brain to replenish its reserves. It improves brain functioning, allowing you to process more information efficiently and accurately. You can use this information for self-growth.

4. Lowers Risk of Weight Gain and Obesity

Insufficient sleep can lead to an average of 1.8-pound weight gain over five days. Lack of sleep can diminish your desire to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It can lead to weight gain and metabolic diseases associated with obesity .

Being obese or overweight can also dampen your desire to become a better person. You may not want to exercise , eat more junk food, and engage in other unhealthy activities. It is not a good way to achieve optimum self-growth.

5. Promotes Better Calorie Regulation

Adequate sleep promotes more efficient melatonin production, release, and activity. What some people do not understand is that melatonin also stimulates leptin and MC4R . These molecules regulate calorie intake.

More calories mean more energy to do the things you want. Unfortunately, if you do not exercise , you will store any unused energy into fat. You can gain weight, making it another reason you feel not ready to better yourself. 

6. Improves Athletic Performance

Exercise makes you feel good about yourself, allowing you to become a better person. Unfortunately, exercising to the peak of your abilities can be a problem if you do not have adequate sleep.

Sleeping at least seven hours per day can increase your exercise intensity, improve coordination, and increase speed during exercise. It is not surprising that athletes spend up to 10 hours on their beds to get the optimum performance they need.

7. Reduces Heart Disease and Stroke Risk

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that adequate sleep can help regulate blood pressure better, one of the major risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

Lowering your risk for stroke and heart disease allows you to plan your life better. You get to enjoy more things because you do not tire easily. You also free yourself from worrying about getting a heart attack or stroke. Getting a cool mattress to promote better sleep should help you safeguard your heart and brain. 

8. Enhances Social and Emotional Intelligence

Inadequate sleep makes it more difficult to recognize other people’s expressions and emotions. You are more cantankerous, quick to temper, and moody. 

The Journal of Sleep Research reported that insufficient sleep affects empathic responses. It would be impossible to become a better person if you cannot empathize with others. Empathy requires understanding another person’s feelings and thought processes objectively. It helps in forming a better you.

9. Prevents Depression

Will you become a better person if you feel depressed all the time? The majority of depressed persons have suicidal thoughts. They think that the only solution is to end it all.

Sleep experts at SleepMatters said that getting enough sleep frees you from the clutches of depression . It allows your brain to become more constructive, helping you think about things you can do to become a better person. Adequate sleep makes you happy, becoming hopeful about your life and the things around you.

10. Reduces Inflammation

Any type of inflammation can sap your energy, making you focus on the pain and swelling more than on constructive and beautiful things. You will not be able to think about things that can promote self-growth.

The World Journal of Gastroenterology reported that insufficient sleep promotes inflammatory substance production, including tumor necrosis factors, interleukins, and other inflammatory cytokines. Sleeping more reduces these substances and lowers your inflammatory risk. 

11. Strengthens the Immune System

Becoming a better person requires you to be in optimum health, including freedom from any infections. That is why you should also strengthen your immune system.

Besides eating immune-boosting superfoods, getting adequate sleep can also strengthen your disease-fighting capabilities. A study published in the Pflugers Archive showed that sufficient sleep enhances circadian rhythm, promoting more efficient immunologic memory.

Sleep promotes optimum health and well-being, allowing you to be more creative and productive. It improves your ability to fight diseases while protecting you against certain health conditions. These benefits contribute to a more robust self-growth. As such, if you are still wondering why sleep is important for self-growth, remember these 11 reasons we shared with you.