Lack of Rest: How It Affects Our Work and Everyday Life
Creativity, happiness, and good health are some of the advantages of sleeping well and having restful sleep. Whether in the workplace or in our personal lives, good rest is essential.
Did you know that the average adult should sleep at least 7 hours a day? However, many times, work and social routines lead us to spend that time on other activities.
There are many advantages to resting properly and having quality sleep, as sleep deprivation can bring various consequences, both at work and in daily life.
Below, we show you the benefits of good rest in the workplace and in your life:
Benefits in the Workplace
The vast array of advantages that come with good rest will help us achieve all the goals set in our work life.
Some of these benefits include:
Boosts creativity:
Good rest will enhance your creativity and problem-solving skills. When our brain is rested and hormones are balanced, memory functions properly. All of this helps make our imagination more powerful and us more creative. This is crucial in all jobs, especially if you want to start a business or achieve a new dream or project.
Increases energy:
Restful sleep will ensure you arrive at work fully charged, leaving behind fatigue or recurring tiredness. This will make your workday happier and improve your quality of life.
Improves memory:
Sleep revitalizes neuronal connections. During REM sleep, the hippocampus, the part responsible for storing our memory, is restored, turning short-term memory into long-term memory. A study by the University of Haifa (Israel) has shown that a 90-minute nap in the afternoon helps consolidate memories and skills.
Optimizes work relationships:
Resting can help create a good work environment. If enough hours of sleep are not obtained, often we find ourselves without motivation and in a bad mood. Good rest ensures a positive attitude and being in good spirits for social interactions. Moreover, being well-rested provides the necessary energy for activities after work and for building new and positive work relationships.
Gives your brain a break:
During rest hours, we give our brains a break and allow them to rest. Additionally, during this time, it enters a regeneration phase essential for our mental health. Inadequate rest impedes the regeneration process, leading to decreased concentration, memory, and coordination, which can affect your work life.
Organizes your tasks:
Prioritizing your sleep hours and having a regulated rest schedule allows you to start the workday more organized. This way, you avoid problems and complications associated with lack of sleep, as well as excess traffic, stress, and disorder.
Benefits for Everyday Life
Beyond our work life, there is our daily life. Having restful sleep will also bring great benefits in this aspect of our lives.
It brings significant advantages not only for a healthy life but also for maintaining good financial health:
Releases melatonin:
This hormone, known as “the hormone of the night,” is released during rest in darkness. Sleeping properly allows us to release it, resulting in great benefits for our health.
Boosts your defenses:
It is proven that our immune system uses rest hours to regenerate. Good rest also helps take care of your heart, skin, and eyes. According to a recent study published in the European Heart Journal, people with insomnia have up to three times more risk of heart failure than those who sleep properly. On the other hand, lack of sleep also increases blood levels of stress hormones, which raises blood pressure and heart rate. Other studies claim that insomnia is also linked to higher cholesterol levels.
Controls your weight:
In adults, lack of sleep can lead to increased appetite. This is because adipocytes (fat cells) release less leptin, the appetite-suppressing hormone. Additionally, insomnia causes the stomach to release more ghrelin (the hunger hormone). These actions demonstrate a relationship between inadequate rest and weight gain.
Improves your mood:
Lack of sleep can lead to changes in our temperament and make us feel more irritable than usual. When we sleep, our bodies relax and help produce melanin and serotonin, which counteract the effects of stress (adrenaline and cortisol), helping us be happier and emotionally stronger. It is proven that laughter, along with good humor, are fundamental factors in daily life for a healthy life plan, acting as a shield against negative thoughts, improving our health, and boosting self-esteem.
Boosts your immune system:
Rest hours are the time our immune system spends regenerating. During this period, it is allowed to effectively act against toxins and germs that continuously threaten our system. A weak immune system has much less chance of effectively overcoming infections.
Controls anxiety and stress:
Having a healthy life plan is incompatible with worries. Studies have shown that anxiety and stress notably affect our quality of life. Therefore, it is very important to sleep and rest adequately, which will help keep all those negative emotions that can affect our mental health at bay.
Conclusion
Not sleeping the recommended hours can have serious consequences that affect all aspects of our lives. However, quality and restful sleep can be a great ally in achieving all those future goals and objectives. The advantages and benefits of good rest will be key to having a healthy life plan that helps you grow in the workplace.
“”The art of rest is a part of the art of working.”