Perhaps one of the most overlooked elements of good all around health is the sleep quality and duration that you get each night.  So many people start out making positive changes in their diet, fitness routine, and lifestyle, but then only sleep six or so hours a night, trying to fit it all in.

Or, they lay awake at night stressing about their career, relationships, or finances, making it nearly impossible to fall asleep.

Whatever the case may be for you, if you aren’t sleeping enough each and every evening, it is going to weigh in on your happiness. More than you might realize.

Let’s look at how sleep will influence the level of happiness you experience so that you can start giving it the attention it deserves.

Sleep And Bodily Health

First, it’s important to realize that lack of sleep can contribute to a number of disease conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.  If you aren’t sleeping enough at night, your body will reduce it’s level of insulin sensitivity, meaning diabetes risk soars.

In addition to that, you’ll also release cortisol, which means you’ll have a higher chance of accumulating body fat and seeing your cholesterol levels rise, setting you up for heart health problems as well.

Even if it’s not these serious of conditions, you may find you’re more likely to be nagged by minor aches and pains, which will definitely impact your overall level of happiness in life.

Sleep And Body Confidence

The next way in which sleep, or lack of it, will influence your happiness is through how you feel about yourself.  For most people, carrying excess body weight does a number on their own self-esteem.

This can lead to lower total levels of confidence, also leading to more social isolation. If you feel horrible about how you look, it will directly impact your day to day living.

And, sleep does contribute significantly to increased weight gain. If you aren’t sleeping enough at night, your body won’t be burning up fat as well as it should throughout the evening, leaving you more prone to accumulating excess body fat stores.

Sleep And Energy

The next way in which sleep is going to impact you is with your energy levels.  If you’ve ever woken up after a night of tossing and turning all evening long, you know precisely how you feel.

Miserable.

Not only do you not want to get in your fitness session because you’re so drained, but you may not even want to get out of the house and do normal everyday things. You choose to stay inside, becoming more and more secluded.

Sleep will rob you of your energy for life and this will rob you of the happiness you should be experiencing.

Those who are well rested will perform better at all they do as well, which can then lead to happiness due to all their successes.

Sleep And Mood

Finally, don’t overlook how sleep will influence your mood state as well. Those who are low on sleep won’t release as much serotonin during the day, which is a feel good hormone that boosts your mood.

If you find you feel more depressed after a night of very low sleep, this isn’t just in your mind.  There is a very good chance that you are actually more down due to neurochemical reactions that are taking place in the brain at this time.

Wake up after a good night’s rest and you’ll automatically see your mood boosted and that you feel ready to take on whatever the day may bring.

So make sure that you aren’t neglecting your sleep any longer. While it can be hard to carve time out of your schedule to get more shut-eye, it’s really a must if you want to experience optimal health and happiness.

Remember as well that the quality of your sleep matters. If you are not sleeping deeply enough at night, this can lead to you waking up not feeling as well-rested, which will pretty much have the same impact on your happiness as only sleeping a few hours a night.

Promote deeper quality sleep by taking a hot bath before you to go bed, turning off all electronic devices at least an hour before you go to sleep, and making sure that you are not engaging in any intense physical activity a few hours before sleep as well.

 

Do you have any sleep strategies you’d like to share? What helps you fall asleep at night?