Don’t Snooze on These 3 Sleep Facts
You can’t deny the benefits of a good night’s sleep! Here are 3 important facts about sleep that shed light on the significance of receiving enough shut-eye.
“Lack of sleep affects our decision making.”
FACT!
Yup, it sure does! With sleep deprivation, we essentially think more with our primitive brain, which causes us to overvalue “rewards” and undervalue negative consequences. For example, we have a tendency to make less rational decisions concerning money, life, and relationships. We also tend to choose high-calorie foods and sometimes overeat.
Sound familiar? On a positive note, a good night’s sleep can help us:
- Make rational decisions
- Experience authentic emotions
- Enhance our emotional well-being
- Reduce our fears (which keep us from being our best)
Learn more about sleep and emotions.
“We sleep to conserve energy and perform restorative activities.”
FACT!
You bet. When we’re sleeping, the brain decreases its energy requirement by 44% and its oxygen requirement by 25%. Our brain performs necessary restorative activities as it shifts between the REM and NREM sleep states. Read more about what happens while you sleep.
“Melatonin helps control our sleep-wake cycle and has antioxidant benefits.”
FACT!
That’s true. Melatonin is a potent antioxidant hormone that provides our bodies with cues for when to sleep at night and when to wake for the day. With its antioxidant powers, it also scavenges free radicals that damage our cells. In fact, one melatonin molecule is predicted to have 13X the antioxidant capacity as vitamin C. Learn more about what melatonin does.
