Sleep is something that every human on planet Earth needs to function properly, so it is no wonder that it is important to get enough! If not, it will negatively affect your health in many ways, however getting too much sleep can be detrimental to your health as well.
How does sleep affect the brain?
Sleep is much more than a state of not being conscious; our brains are usually very active during this time, if not more, than when we are awake. It helps the heart vessels to heal and helps to maintain blood pressure, sugar levels and inflammation, and reduce stress among other things.
The effects of a lack of sleep includes:
· Body weight, increasing the risk for type 2 diabetes
· Attention span and our ability to focus
· Fatigue
· Irritability
· Depressed mood
· Forgetfulness
· Motivation
· The risk of cardiovascular disease (and others)
However, you should aim to get a balanced amount of sleep, which includes not getting too much sleep either. The effects of too much sleep include an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
Having too much sleep is when it lasts over nine hours for an adult, however under six is too little. The right amount is about 7-9 hours.
In conclusion, getting the right amount of sleep is very important when concerning your health. Your brain’s activity is mostly unconscious and it effects our mood, our concentration, our well-being and many other things.
By James Moore
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