Forget the old saying “you snooze, you lose,” it’s national bed month and we thought we’d give you our top 5 reasons for why it’s important to get a great night’s sleep.

From living longer to staying slim, getting some much-needed shuteye is proven to benefit both physical and mental health – so here are some of the ways in which getting more sleep can help your well-being…

1. Poor sleep can lead to weight gain

Not only are short-duration-sleepers 55% more likely to become obese (89% for children), but sleeping less can also increase the chance of diabetes and heart disease.

The effect of sleep on weight gain is thought to be mediated by many factors, such as hormone levels and the motivation to exercise, so a full forty winks should be made a priority in anyone’s day.

2. Good sleepers eat fewer calories

While not true for everyone, studies show that sleep deprivation can actually cause people to eat more food throughout the day.

This is caused by disruption in the hormones related to appetite. Levels of the appetite-supressing hormone leptin remain lower, while levels of ghrelin, the “hunger hormone,” climb much higher.

3. Sleep more – have fewer nightmares

Insufficient sleep could play a role in adults having more nightmares. While nightmares will cause you to lose sleep, not catching up on the sleep you’ve missed will only serve to exacerbate the situation – so it’s important to take a nap if you’ve had a restless night the night before.

4. “Unlearn” to be a better you

Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep is thought to help with “unlearning” superfluous memories. As an example, if a child falls off their bike 10 times while trying to learn but succeeds on the 11th try, the process of REM sleep will help the child to re-enact their successful attempt in the future, having “unlearned” how to fall off during the first 10 tries.

REM sleep is a stage of sleep that’s characterised by rapid eye movement. This usually accounts for up to 20-25% of the total sleep time in adults, and it is during this time that the majority of our dreams occur.

5. Wake up on the right side of the bed

We all know that over-tiredness can make us cranky, but getting more sleep also helps to regulate our emotions. Sleep doesn’t promise a sunny disposition to life, however it does mean you’re less likely to snap at your boss, burst into tears and feel down in the dumps.

So there you have it: our top five reasons for getting a great night’s sleep.

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