Benefits of Sleep

Beyond just restoring your body's energy levels, there are many benefits of sleep. At the most basic level, studies have shown that sleep is necessary for survival. You also need good sleep so that you can function well–both mentally and physically–during your waking hours. Good sleep can enable you to work productively, make sound judgments, avoid harm, recover from illness, and interact with other people effectively.

Sleep also benefits us in less-visible ways. During sleep, the body secretes a growth hormone that may repair and regenerate tissue throughout the body. Many of the body's cells also increase in production and reduce the breakdown of proteins during deep sleep allowing the body to help repair damage from things like stress and ultraviolet rays–adding a hint of truth to the term "beauty sleep." The body also builds bone and muscle, and strengthens our immune system at this time. Sleep may also be instrumental in reinforcing our memories and, some experts believe, essential to processing complex emotions.

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