6 Reasons Why Good Sleep Is So Important

Whilst we do our best at Precision Athletica to help you physically via our Physiotherapy, Exercise Physiology and Strength & Conditioning services, Nutritionally through our Dietitians, one thing that we also know is how incredibly important good sleep is.

A proper nights sleep allows the body to rest and recover from the stressors and strains of the day, and it plays a huge part in our healing and growth, but in this modern day and age, many people are finding they get less and less of it.

With that in mind, here are some reasons to help demonstrate why you should prioritise your sleep.

1. Poor sleep is linked to higher body weight

People with short sleep duration tend to weigh significantly more than those who get adequate rest and it has strong links with obesity.

If losing weight is a goal of yours, make sure that getting better sleep is one as well.

2. Good sleepers tend to eat fewer calories

Research tells us that people deprived of sleep will tend to eat more and make worse food choices, messing that they consume more calories than those getting an adequate amount.

Sleep deprivation disrupts the daily fluctuations in appetite hormones and is believed to cause poor appetite regulation. Think back to a day where you’ve been very tired and we’re sure that you will spot this trend in yourself.

3. A proper nights sleep can improve concentration and productivity

Sleep plays a big role in cognition, concentration, productivity, and performance, the better your quality of sleep, the better you will be in those areas, conversely the worse your sleep the worse you’ll do.

Possibly surprising to know, but research and studies have shown that short rest cycles can result in you having similar feelings to when intoxicated with alcohol.

On the other hand, good sleep has been shown to improve problem-solving skills and enhance memory performance of both children and adults.

4. Good sleep can maximise sporting performance

It’s been demonstrated to enhance sporting performance.

No matter your athletic ability it’s worth knowing and understanding that in various studies including one on basketball players, longer sleep was shown to significantly improve speed, accuracy, reaction times, and mental well-being.

Equally limited sleep duration has also been associated with poor exercise performance and functional limitations in older women. A study in over 2,800 women found that poor sleep was linked to slower walking, lower grip strength, and greater difficulty performing independent activities.

5. Poor sleepers have a greater risk of heart disease and stroke

The quality and duration of your sleep can have a major impact on many health risk factors, factors believed to drive chronic diseases such as heart disease.

A review of 15 studies found that people who don’t get enough are at far greater risk of heart disease or stroke than those who sleep 7–8 hours per night.

6. Poor sleep has been linked to depression

Mental health issues, such as depression, are strongly linked to poor sleep quality and sleeping disorders.

It’s been estimated that 90% of people with depression complain about sleep quality.

Poor sleep is even associated with an increased risk of death by suicide.

If you suffer from any symptoms related depression, please contact organisations such as Beyond Blue.

Take away…

The quality and duration of our sleep is a major factor in our overall health.

How we sleep needs to go hand in hand with things such as exercise and nutrition – areas that we at Precision Athletica are very suited to helping you with, but it needs to be a focus nonetheless.

If you do not place an emphasis on good sleep, you really can’t maintain and sustain optimal health.

Found this article interesting? Make sure you read our post on 9 Life Hacks to Energise Your Mornings.

How Do I Book An Appointment with Precision Athletica for Help?

We’re taking the health of our clients, members and staff very seriously and our preference would be for you to call to book an appointment so that we can make sure to explain our approach to keeping you safe. You can call our bookings team to schedule a session:

• Customer Support Centre: 02 9764 5787
• OR email us at: olympicpark@precisionathletica.com.au

Online Consultations

Evolving with the current environment, we are also now offering online appointments, meaning that we can support anyone who is unable to leave their home. Sessions are done via our state of the art Telehealth system and as long as you have a laptop or tablet with an inbuilt camera, or a phone with camera, we can help! Online consultations would be especially effective for guiding you in how to use your foam roller.

To learn more about online consultations, please call us on any of the numbers listed above.