We all know that a good night’s sleep can help us feel upbeat and focused, ready to face the day and conquer any task at hand. But did you know that sleep is actually incredibly important for your IQ, and that you need good sleep to fully support brain function and productivity?
How To Get A Good Night’s Sleep?
While you’re sleeping your body is extremely busy mending you physically and psychologically, so you need to give it the best chance by ensuring that your bed is up to the job! Firstly, ensure your mattress and bed give you support and comfort personalised to you. Quality furniture suppliers such as Booths Furniture Ltd can help you discover which bed and mattress suits your preference like the Tempur range.
Secondly, investing in quality sheets and duvet or blankets that will keep you at the right temperature and not irritate your skin can greatly improve your sleep. If you suffer from allergies then it’s a good idea to buy hypoallergenic materials so you can sleep easy without a blocked nose interrupting your sleep.
Coren Sleep Deprivation Study
Scientist, Stanley Coren has studied the affect sleep deprivation has on our IQ levels. He discovered through intelligence tests that the less sleep you have, the poorer the results. Approximately one IQ point is lost for the first hour of sleep loss, and two the second hour, and so on and so forth. The tests show that even if you have a high IQ level, the less sleep you have the worse your test level result.
This principle was applied to research carried out on the grades of over 3,000 American high school students. The study showed that there was a significant difference between students getting poorer grades when they had less sleep than those with higher grades. Just 25 minutes sleep was the difference between getting C’s and D’s, and A’s and B’s.
Coren also uncovered that there is a link between sleep deprivation and car accidents. Drivers were tested when they had been awake one hour longer than their normal bedtime. Coren found that their reaction times and thought processes were slower, and shockingly worse than the control group they were tested against, who were over the UK drink drive limit.
These studies clearly show the major impact lack of good sleep can have on the brain and your IQ levels.
Other Effects of Sleep Deprivation
When it comes to sleep deprivation, it’s not just your brain that is affected. Although good brain function is very important, a good night’s sleep can also help ensure your body functions well.
Central Nervous System
During sleep, our brains have time to repair themselves and get ready for the day ahead. The central nervous system works hard to keep the brain functioning properly, but it can’t do this without enough sleep. While we sleep, neurons are able to rest, new pathways are created and the body produces vital proteins that help repair cell damage – this is all essential to keep a healthy, functioning brain.
Immune System
While you’re sleeping, your immune system creates protective cytokines and antibodies and cells that fight infection, bacteria and viruses. It’s essential that your immune system is ready to fight illness and provide the energy you need to function.
Respiratory System
Lack of sleep leaves you at risk of respiratory diseases, and as mentioned in the point above, sleep deprivation means that your immune system will struggle to build up enough antibodies to fight off disease and illness, leaving you vulnerable to becoming more ill.
Cardiovascular System
Sleep deprivation is particularly harmful for those with high blood pressure, heart disease and for stroke victims. Your body needs sleep to repair blood vessels in the body and in your heart. Sleep deprivation is also linked to weight gain, so if you don’t already suffer from a cardiovascular disease then sleep deprivation will unfortunately help you on your way by making it more difficult for you to lose excess weight.
Investing in your sleep is essential, as sleep is vital to ensuring the adequate functionality of your brain and body – do you invest in yours?
*This is a collaborative post*
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