Health Benefits of Sleep

Only 40 percent of Americans get seven or more hours of sleep per night. Americans are operating on a sleep deficit, which has implications on work, study, and most importantly, their health. Getting enough sleep not only gives you more energy, but may actually help you live longer and experience less disease.

Benefits

Healthy young adults who go into deep sleep--called slow wave sleep--may be at a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes than those who don't, according to a University of Chicago study.

Considerations

Deep, restful sleep is integral to processing and retaining new information. Research suggests that people who sleep between seven and eight hours a night experience better health than those who sleep more or less.

Effects

Adequate sleep may help you stay thinner. A study of 990 Iowa adults indicates that people who sleep more have a lower Body Mass Index than those who sleep less.

Potential

Sleep roughly seven hours a night--but not more than nine--and enjoy a longer life. A study of more than one million people linked good sleep with a lower risk of mortality.

Expert Insight

Mayo Clinic cardiologist and sleep researcher, Dr. Virend Somers, says that sleep is good for the heart. Sleep can even improve the health of heart patients who aren't responding well to treatment.

Resources

• Article about adequate sleep
• Sleep benefits and diabetes
• Article about the effects of too little sleep