Health Tips

Why Sleep Is Important?

Sleep is one of the most basic requirements which every living thing requires, yet we often overlook its importance in our lives. Especially with the high amount of workload faced by students and working adults, sleep is often traded for that extra few hours to rush for project deadlines or last-minute exam revision. Here are a few reasons why your sleep should not be compromised:

1. Sleep is important for cognitive function and productivity.

This fact seems obvious, but we have to be reminded of it time and again. You would have noticed yourself accomplishing your tasks very slowly the morning after burning the midnight oil, or feeling lethargic and exhausted to the point you just want to go home and crawl into bed. All these invariably affect our productivity at work, and is ineffective in the long run.

2. Sleep is required for memory consolidation.

Scientists are still working on understanding how exactly the brain functions during sleep, but what is known thus far is that sleep is important in memory consolidation. Memory consolidation happens during the REM (rapid eye movement) phase - all the happenings during the day are reviewed by the brain and then stored as long-term memory. If you lack sleep, this brain function will be impaired.

3. Lack of sleep has been linked to various diseases.

Current research has shown an association of consistent sleep deficiency with an increased risk in several diseases, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke. Therefore, remember to get enough sleep!

Written by

Dr Leonard Goh