Skylar Maurice, Staff Writer

Sleep is something that is a part of everyone’s routine on a daily basis. Some people may sleep more, while others sleep less. Regardless, sleep is the resting of the body and has several benefits that make it imperative for humans to function. These benefits include controlling your blood sugar, lessening inflammation, refining mental function, improving mood and resulting in a stronger athletic performance.

According to Verywellhealth, sleep can benefit your blood sugar and help manage your metabolism. Your metabolism is what the body uses in order to change food into energy. Being deprived of sleep can create issues with a person’s metabolism. One of these issues includes blood sugar levels that are unstable, and this is specifically an issue for people that have diabetes. Inconsistent blood sugar levels can affect a person’s mood, mental function and energy levels.

Additionally, inflammation can be lessened from sleep. A person not getting enough sleep can cause uneven immune system activity to occur, which can cause inflammation as a result. Chronic inflammation can harm bodily structures and can amplify your risk for several health conditions including dementia, ulcers and heart disease.

Likewise, sleep can help refine a person’s mental function. According to Sleepfoundation, sleep can assist with a person’s cognitive thinking and memory. Lacking sleep can impact a person negatively in terms of being able to think clearly, function ideally and make memories. A person’s ability to think recesses after a week of unsatisfactory sleep. People that are deprived of sleep do not perform well in prompt response activities and attention to multiple tasks. An example of this type of activity is driving. An insufficient amount of sleep can affect a person’s judgment as well. A correlation is seen between unsafe behavior and sleeping for less than five hours; therefore, people that are deprived of sleep are at a greater likelihood for making bad decisions.

Moreover, sleep can help improve a person’s athletic performance. Sleep is vital to an athlete’s recovery. The body’s creation of growth hormones is the most prominent at night. These hormones are required in order for the tissue in the body to be fixed. Also, they are a likely aide to muscle growth. Not sleeping can put athletes at risk for a decrease in performance, mood changes and tiredness, which can amplify the risk of injury.

A way to improve your sleep involves the use of technology. Putting aside electronic devices for a period of time before bed can be beneficial. The recommended period of time is 30 minutes. Blue light is released from things like computers, tablets and phones. This light can disturb a hormone called melatonin from being produced, and without this hormone, it is more difficult to fall asleep. Experts in sleep recommend creating a relaxing routine before bed, completing activities such as taking a shower or reading.