Good Sleep Is Essential to Good Health

Sunday, June 7th, 2009

As you work your way through medical or nursing school, or whatever degree you’re pursuing, sleep may take a backseat to homework, work and a social life. Yet not getting enough sleep can take a big toll on your school performance, attitude and overall health. As a student, you’ll need to balance your need to get things done with your body’s need for a little rest and relaxation if you want to stay healthy mentally and physically during your time at school.

Did you know that not getting enough sleep could be affecting your grades and performance on the job? It’s not only hard to pay attention when you’re feel drowsy, but not having gotten enough sleep could be lowering your mental ability as well. Studies have shown that those who regularly slept until they felt rested performed better not only in alertness and concentration but in their cognitive abilities as well. There’s no sense in not living up to your full mental potential so, getting enough sleep should always be part of an effective student schedule.

Perhaps one of the biggest health-related reasons to get enough sleep is stress. Those who do not get enough sleep are often doing so because they have too much on their plates already and are stressed. The problem is only compounded by not getting enough sleep which adds to the stress and can cause some very serious health problems. Being under stress for an extended period of time can increase your risk of heart disease, cancer, depression and many other very serious and potentially life-threatening conditions so it is essential that you balance work and school with resting when your body needs it.

Lack of sleep can affect your body in other ways as well. There is some indication that there is a correlation between poor sleeping habits and weight gain, perhaps because of increased levels of stress hormones in the body. Being overweight will not only feel less confident about yourself, but could put you at risk of some serious health conditions as well.

Getting less sleep may seem like a fact of life as a student or young professional, but it shouldn’t be. Sleep should be just as much of a priority as the other things in your life as not getting enough rest could have some unwanted consequences further down the line and could play a part in you not performing to your full potential. So no matter how busy your schedule, make sure to pencil in some time for quality sleep.