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When making health improvements, many of us focus on diet and exercise alone. And while these form some of the key building blocks of health, science has found that getting enough good-quality sleep is just as important.
Here, we’ll explore some of the impressive benefits of sleep, including the powerful effects of a good nighttime routine.
Note: We understand that sleep can be a difficult and frustrating topic for some people. If you’re currently struggling to get enough good-quality sleep, you might find some of the tips in our sleep and fatigue section useful. Alternatively, if you see no improvement in your sleep, it’s worth speaking to your GP.
10 surprising health benefits of sleep
1. It can improve focus and boost productivity
Sleep is important for healthy brain function. Among other things, sleep allows neurons and neurotransmitters in the brain to rest and regenerate. As a result, research has found that a lack of sleep can significantly impact things like memory, alertness, and overall cognitive abilities.
Sleep-deprived people are thought to be more likely to make mistakes due to a general breakdown in ability, willingness, and memory.
For example, this study, which examined overworked physicians, revealed that a lack of sleep significantly impacted their ability to focus and perform. It found that doctors who were moderately, highly, and severely sleep-deprived were 54%, 96%, and 97% more likely (respectively) to make significant medical mistakes.
Research has also revealed that the impact of sleep deprivation on productivity is thought to cost the UK economy a staggering £37 billion each year.
In contrast, other studies suggest that getting enough good-quality sleep can improve memory and problem-solving skills in adults and lead to greater performance at work.
2. It’s thought to strengthen your immune system
The importance of sleep for healthy immune system function is well-documented.
One study found that participants who slept for fewer than five hours a night were 4.5 times more likely to develop a cold compared to those who slept for more than seven hours.
There’s also evidence to suggest that getting enough good-quality sleep may improve our antibody response to flu vaccines.
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3. It can boost heart health
According to research, a lack of good-quality sleep can increase your risk of developing heart disease.
For example, this scientific review found that there was a 13% increased risk of death from heart disease in people who slept for less than seven hours a night. Another analysis found that compared with seven hours of sleep, every one-hour reduction in sleep increased the risk of heart disease by 6%.
One explanation for this is that sleep deprivation can contribute to raised blood pressure and cholesterol levels – two main indicators linked with the risk of heart disease.
Studies also suggest that short sleep may increase the risk of developing high blood pressure, particularly in people with obstructive sleep apnea (a condition that causes interrupted breathing during sleep). In fact, this study found that those who slept for fewer than five hours per night had a 61% higher risk of developing high blood pressure than people who slept for seven hours.
Similarly, research has shown that poor sleep quality can lead to elevated sdLDL-C levels (bad) cholesterol levels.
That said, getting too much sleep (more than nine hours per night consistently) can also increase the risk of developing high cholesterol and high blood pressure – and therefore heart disease. So, experts generally agree that aiming for between seven and nine hours of sleep per night is ideal.
4. It may help you maintain or lose weight
Several studies have linked a lack of sleep ( fewer than seven hours per night) with an increased risk of weight gain and a higher body mass index (BMI).
For example, this study found that adults who got fewer than seven hours of sleep a night were more likely to develop obesity. Getting enough sleep, on the other hand, didn’t increase the risk of developing obesity at all.
Experts suggest the link between sleep and weight gain is due to several factors, including hormone balance and motivation to stay active.
Not getting enough sleep causes increased ghrelin and decreased leptin. Ghrelin is the hormone responsible for signalling hunger, while leptin signals when we’re full. So, an imbalance can lead us to feel hungrier and overeat as a result.
These findings are supported by various studies, which have found that sleep-deprived people have a bigger appetite and a tendency to eat more calories.
A lack of sleep can also result in cravings for high-calorie foods to compensate for a lack of energy. And unsurprisingly, low energy levels can also make it more difficult to stay active.
5. It can improve the health and appearance of skin
The body repairs itself during sleep, and this is just as true for your skin as it is for your muscles or brain.
While we sleep, blood flow to the skin increases as it begins to rebuild its collagen content and repair skin cell damage from sun exposure.
Research shows that just two consecutive nights of poor sleep can cause dark under-eye circles and decreased skin brightness and saturation (and many of us will be able to vouch for that!). However, long-term sleep deprivation can also weaken the skin barrier and impact its ability to protect and repair itself.
For example, this study found that people who got enough good-quality sleep had 30% greater recovery for their skin barrier – the outer layer of skin that helps to protect the skin from external elements like UV rays – compared to people who slept poorly.
It also found that 24 hours after exposure to UV light, those who got enough sleep recovered better from erythema (a type of skin rash caused by inflamed or injured blood capillaries).
6. It can improve emotional regulation and lead to strengthened relationships
A lack of sleep is thought to reduce our ability to regulate emotions and interact with others.
Many of us will relate to feeling sad, irritable, and less able to control emotional outbursts when we’re tired – and science has confirmed this link.
As well as affecting our own mental well-being and happiness, these negative moods caused by a lack of sleep can impact our ability to interact with others.
Experts have also suggested that chronic sleep deprivation can increase the risk of loneliness because people are more likely to withdraw from other people and social events. And, these factors can have an impact on the quality of relationships, too.
Take this study, for example, which found that couples who got better-quality sleep were less likely to be emotionally reactive to one another, and more likely to feel secure in their relationships and stay together for longer.
7. It may reduce stress and anxiety
There’s also a significant link between sleep and levels of stress and anxiety.
A lack of sleep can cause the body to react as if it’s in distress – releasing more of the stress hormone, cortisol. For example, this study found that adults who sleep for fewer than eight hours a night reported higher stress levels than those who sleep for at least eight hours.
Cortisol is responsible for producing our fight-or-flight response to danger, but too much can harm our health. This study linked getting less than five hours of sleep a night to several cortisol-related issues, including high blood pressure. Additional research has also found that sleep problems were associated with disturbances in cortisol responses to stress in people with type 2 diabetes.
Getting more rest, on the other hand, can restore balance to the body’s systems and significantly reduce cortisol (and, therefore, stress and anxiety) levels.
8. It can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes
Science has associated a lack of sleep with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
For example, this scientific review of over one million participants found that sleeping for less than five hours and less than six hours increased a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 48% and 18%, respectively.
The increased risk is believed to be due to physiological changes that sleep deprivation can cause in the body. This includes reduced insulin sensitivity (when the body is unable to use the hormone insulin properly), increased inflammation, imbalances in hunger hormone levels, and a greater likelihood of overeating – all of which are risk factors for diabetes.
Poor sleep can make other health conditions like obesity, metabolic syndrome, and heart disease more likely, too. These conditions are also linked with an increased risk of diabetes.
9. It can improve your reaction times and reduce the risk of accidents
As mentioned above, sleep deprivation can affect our focus, reflexes, and reaction times. In fact, research has found that severe sleep deprivation has a similar effect to excessive alcohol consumption.
This study found that people who slept fewer than six hours a night were more likely to fall asleep while driving. Another study found that people who slept fewer than four hours a night were 15.1 times more likely to have a car accident.
Other research has reported that staying awake for 17 hours or more is comparable to having a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.05% – increasing to 0.10% after 24 hours, which is above the UK limit of 0.08%.
There’s also evidence to suggest that a lack of sleep can increase the risk of injury in the workplace.
10. It’s thought to boost athletic performance
Getting enough, good-quality sleep has been shown to boost athletic performance.
This is largely because the body’s production of growth hormones needed for muscle tissue repair and growth is at its highest during sleep.
This study found that when male and female tennis players improved their sleep, their serves became more accurate, from around 36% to 42%. Players also reported feeling less tired during exercise, too.
Another study found that when male and female swimmers slept longer, their turn times improved, kick strokes increased, and reaction times off diving blocks were quicker.
Athlete or not, when it comes to exercise, these benefits can be enjoyed by anyone – whether that means feeling more fuelled and ready for your workouts, or moving steadily towards your fitness goals.
Final thoughts…
Sleep is essential for health and well-being because it allows our bodies to rest and rejuvenate. While eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly are important steps for building a healthy lifestyle, the quality of our sleep should equally be considered.
For more sleep-related content, head over to our sleep and fatigue section. Here, you’ll find information on everything from finding the ideal mattress for you to how to create an environment for sleep and overcome insomnia.
Which of these health benefits of sleep do you notice the most? What’s helped you improve your sleep quality? We’d be interested to hear from you in the comments below.
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