Get Enough Quality Sleep
Out of the three things on this list, sleep is the only thing you cannot stop your body from demanding. The human body needs rest—or it will break down. So, since sleep is essential to good health, you should commit to enhancing your sleep quality and quantity.
By now, you probably know the recommended hours per night for an adult is 7-8 hours of sleep. Teenagers and children need more. Some people require less or more hours to function properly, but if you are an average working adult, shoot for 8 hours. Any less that 7 hours puts you at the risk of mood swings, anxiety, stress, loss of libido, weight gain, and a weakened immune system. You also see an increased risk of dementia, diabetes, stroke, depression, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
As if that isn’t convincing enough, studies have shown that sleep deprivation may double your risk of death. In a British longitudinal study, 10,308 civil servants were monitored. The researchers reduced their sleep from 7 hours to 5 or less per night and, in doing so, increased the risk of all-cause mortality, such as cardiovascular disease.
Part of the reason is that your body cannot repair and restore itself properly if you aren’t getting enough sleep. Imagine it like a car with a dried up oil or gas tank. It may run, but over time, the condition will worsen until it cannot do anything.
On the flip side, getting enough sleep means a reduced risk of anxiety disorder. People who are chronically sleep deprived often report far more stress than those who are well rested. Furthermore, getting enough sleep at night can increase your happiness and contentment, helps you communicate better, emote better, and also decreases your impulsivity.
Trying to get fitter faster? Sleep! When you sleep, your body is working overtime to burn fat, build muscle, and heal your tissues so you can get back into the game faster.
