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The surprising benefits of sleep – and how much you really need

Photo credit: Piotr Marcinski / EyeEm - Getty Images
Photo credit: Piotr Marcinski / EyeEm - Getty Images

From Prima

Sleep is something we all love (and would love to have more of), and there's no doubt we all have the best intentions to get seven to eight hours of the glorious stuff a night.

However despite our best intentions, a recent survey found that most of us are actually only getting five hours 48 minutes a night, wreaking havoc on our mental, physical health, weight, appearance and wellbeing.

Sleep doesn't just refresh us, it's a crucial time for cells to repair, the brain to re-power and our body to generally heal itself, and the benefits of this seemingly simple activity are endless.

'Sleep is an essential function, imperative for physical health as well as emotional wellbeing,' consultant dermatologist Dr Catherine Borysiewicz explains to Prima.co.uk.

'Improving memory, reducing stress, increasing productivity, strengthening the immune system and lowering blood pressure are just some of the benefits a good night’s sleep will deliver.'

Dr Liron Jacobson of new sleep app Rise agrees, explaining to Prima.co.uk, that 'almost 30 percent of UK based people are getting a poor sleep most nights, and the main reason is stress and worry'. But the benefits of sleep are a lot greater than you may think...

Benefits of sleep on skin

Contrary to how it sounds, 'beauty sleep’ is actually more than skin deep, as sleep also plays a vital function in anti-ageing, helping to improve the complexion and the health of our skin.

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'The body repairs itself as we sleep, so when we are sleep deprived it quickly shows in our appearance with red, swollen eyes, dark circles and sallow skin being some of the tell-tale signs that we have skimped on the slumber,' explains Dr Catherine.

'The central clock for setting human sleep patterns is in an area of our brain called the hypothalamus, but it is also suspected that the cells making up the skin and its supporting structures have "mini clock" genes and proteins that are able to coordinate variations in cell activity during the course of time.'

But it's not all beauty related, as studies have suggested that a lack of sleep impairs wound healing, affects skin barrier function and repair and can even reduce the ability to repair sunburn after exposure to UV light. 'Studies have also suggested that chronic lack of sleep is associated with increased signs of ageing as well as a lower satisfaction with appearance,' the doctor adds.

Benefits of sleep on weight

There's no denying that when we've had a bad night's sleep we're more likely to snack. And that general 'sod it, I'll have another one' sentiment normally goes hand in hand with feeling tired.

It turns out there's a scientific reason for that, with one of the key benefits of sleep being hormone regulation. 'Recent studies have now proven the association between decreased sleep duration and poor quality sleep with obesity,' explains GP and LighterLife Medical Director, Matt Capehorn to Prima.co.uk.

Photo credit: andresr - Getty Images
Photo credit: andresr - Getty Images

'It has been shown that without sufficient good quality sleep there is an increase in our hunger hormones and other proteins that encourage weight gain, an increase in our body's stress hormones that can lead to other serious medical conditions, as well as decreased control of glucose metabolism which increases the risks of diabetes,' he continues.

However, these metabolic and hormonal impacts of sleep depravation can be reversed with good quality sleep. 'Four to six hours of good quality sleep will be better than 12 hours of poor quality sleep,' Matt explains.

Benefits of sleep on brain power

'Getting less than six hours of sleep a night results in impaired memory, concentration, vigilance and simple intelligence tasks which means it could easily affect our day-to-day work and general health,' Vik Veer, consultant surgeon at the Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital tells Prima.co.uk


'Getting a full night's sleep is important most nights, but if you are driving its even more essential you get enough in – in fact, studies show that those who slept six, five and less than four hours sleep had an 1.3, 1.8 and 15.1 increase in the odds of having a car accident!'

Sleep is so important for our brain function that leading nutritionist and author of Natural Alternatives to Dieting, Dr. Marilyn Glenville says that the lack of sleep can have similar effects to those brought on by too much alcohol; the performance of someone who has been awake for 17 hours straight being the same as if they had a blood alcohol level of 50mg/100ml of blood (two drinks in an hour).

'And night owls beware!,' she insists. 'A study by Harvard Medical School found that people who slept after learning and practising a new task remembered more about it the following day than people who stayed up all night learning the same thing. Better sleep means better concentration and better decision-making.'

Benefits of sleep on the immune system

Surprisingly, sleep can also affect the body's immune system, with lack of sleep weakening the body's defences against viruses.

According to a 2012 study published in the US National Library of Medicine, lack of sleep can actually affect how fast you recover from sickness.

Photo credit: Thamrongpat Theerathammakorn / EyeEm - Getty Images
Photo credit: Thamrongpat Theerathammakorn / EyeEm - Getty Images

During sleep the body releases proteins called cytokines, which are needed when the body is infected or under stress. Sleep increases the count of the protein, while sleep deprivation will lower the count.

How to sleep better

'Cutting back on caffeine can hugely enhance your sleep,' says Benenox's Dr Nerina Ramlakhan. 'Ideally, you should avoid having caffeine after 4pm in the afternoon; this isn’t just coffee, this is tea, fizzy drinks such as Coca-Cola and even green tea too. Everyone’s caffeine metabolism is different. However, the effects can linger for a long time in the body.

'You should try and go to bed early about three or four nights a week. This is about training your body to receive rest earlier. A lot of people who I'm working with these days are going to bed too late. Three of four nights a week you should aim to be in bed between 09:30 and 10:00. You don’t necessarily have to be sleeping, but resting and doing something that is restful.'

If you, like us, are someone that spends their weekends making up for lost sleep, a recent study recently found that those weekend lie-ins aren't actually enough to recover from missed sleep during the week.

Well, if you've ever needed an excuse to have an early night, long lie-in or lazy nap-filled weekend, it's safe to say you've got a good handful!


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