Sleep: Is It More Important Than We Think It Is?

What is Sleep?

It is said that, on average, people tend to sleep for one third of their lives. This alone

may show you the value of sleep, but what is sleep and why is it so important?

Sleep is when you and your body go into a state of rest during which the body is

relaxed and your reactions to the environment are reduced. There are many reasons

why getting enough sleep is important from improving your body as well as your

mental health.

The Body

Whilst it may not be the most important factor, sleep is important for maintaining a

healthy body. Research has shown that sleep deficiency is linked to having a higher

risk of developing heart disease. This is further demonstrated in Matthew Walker’s

Book, “Why We Sleep” where he mentions a study conducted in 2011 which

included more than half a million men and women from different age groups and

ethnicities. The study showed that steadily decreasing the amount of sleep you get

was linked to a “45 percent increased risk of developing and/or dying from coronary

heart disease” (2018, p.165). This is a worrying statistic and illustrates the

importance of sleep in keeping ourselves healthy. In addition to this, there are many

other benefits sleep presents to the body such as helping to combat obesity, aid your

immune system and assist in the healthy growth of children and teenagers

(Pacheco, D. and Wright, H. 2021). If something as simple as sleeping enough could

improve our health, what is stopping us from looking after ourselves?

Mental Health

Being healthy means being in a good state physically, as well as mentally. For

children and teenagers, getting enough sleep is vital to not just their healthy growth

and development, but also in looking after their mental health. There have been

many studies demonstrating the significance of sleep for adolescents. For example,

in the Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, Tarokh et al. (2016, pp. 182-188)

discuss how sleep deprivation in adolescents has been linked to them having

“increased negative mood” and influencing the development of “anxiety and major

depression”. Furthermore, in his book, Walker goes on to explain that studies have

shown there to be a link between “sleep disruption and suicidal thoughts, suicide

attempts, and, tragically, suicide completion in the days after.” (2018, p.148). These

tragic results display the value sleep has for young people, and suggests that, rather

than berating today’s youth for sleeping too much, society should be encouraging

young people to get an amount of sleep that is healthy for them. In addition to this,

perhaps sleep issues in children and teenagers, as well as the rest of the population,

should be addressed more seriously in order to reduce the risk of the possible rise of

mental health issues later on in their lives. This is supported by a study published in

2020, in which there seemed to be a link between people having issues with

sleeping during their teenage years and developing anxiety or depression later on

(Hammond, C. 2021). As a result, young people having problems with sleeping need

to be taken more seriously so as to avoid the possible saddening consequences

later on in their lives.

Sleep is an amazing tool for your body to rest, recover and revitalise itself. As was

discussed earlier on, there are numerous benefits for our physical and mental health.

In the fast-paced society we live in today, the hustle culture and toxic productivity, all

can play a part in pressuring people to, among other things, work longer hours and

lose their precious sleep. Not every minute of every day has to be filled with

something productive, sometimes it can be better for our health to set some time

aside for our own self-care and look after ourselves. Sleep must be placed at a

higher priority in our lives.

Written By: Mohammad Choudhury

Bibliography:

1. Walker, M. (2018). Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams.

UK: Penguin Books

2. Pacheco, D. and Wright, H. (2021). Physical Health and Sleep. Available at:

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-health, (Accessed: 15/09/2021).

3. Tarokh, L., Saletin, J. and Carskadon, M. (2016). ‘Sleep in adolescence:

physiology, cognition and mental health’, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral

Reviews [Online], 70, pp. 182-188.

4. Hammond, C. (2021). Why teenage sleep is so important for mental health.

Available at: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210305-why-teenage-sleep-

is-so-important-for-mental-health, (Accessed: 15/09/2021).