How does Sleep Affect your Body & Life

Our body is an ever-regulating machine. As much as we need energy to keep us going throughout life’s everyday activities. We also need to rest and repair; this is primarily done when we sleep.1 Sleeping is a vital component to our body’s healing process. We spend approximately 1/3 of our lifetime sleeping. What happens to our body when we don’t get enough sleep to allow our body to repair? 

Getting quality sleep allows us to wake feeling refreshed and ready for the day, however, disruptions in the process of going to sleep or during the night can affect this cycle. Have you thought about your sleep environment? Lighting, noise, room temperature? Are you feeling tired but having difficulty switching off? Have you considered your time spent on your device’s hours prior to sleep, medication or stress. You may also have noticed; an alcoholic beverage has helped you fall asleep? Initially it may, but over time small amounts of alcohol can lead to a 9.3% reduce in sleep quality, whilst binge drinking can affect our sleep by up to a staggering 39%. 2,3

Changes to our sleep pattern and cycle, whether it be broken sleep, changes in sleep time due to work schedules or minimal sleep periods, overtime this can lead to a number of issues. Including, reduced concentration, poor coordination and slower reaction times.1,3 The inability to react and respond to stimuli in an appropriate manner can lead to a higher risk of injury and without getting adequate sleep, slows down the body’s natural healing processes. Research has found, pain plays a major role in disturbed sleep, due to inability to get comfortable or remain in a position for hours. Usually this occurs in conjunction with neck and low back pain. With over 50% of long-term low back pain sufferers, have decreased quality of sleep.1,3,4,5

Only getting short periods rest and repair time, can also alter how our brain perceives pain. Over time the nerve pathways that send and receive information from the brain to body may become heightened or more sensitive. This means the pain or injury may only be minor, but your brain has perceived the injury more severe.3,4

Sleep is a vital component for our body to function at its best! Research has found, medium-firm mattresses offer better support for your spine, improve the quality of your sleep and decrease the occurrence of low back pain.4