Are you a night owl? Don’t worry, you are not alone. Many people nowadays keep themselves active during the night. The trend of working night shifts, enjoying a vibrant nightlife and a ‘Netflix & Chill’ party on compromised sleep has increased. You might feel that these sleepless nights give you relaxation, but in the long term, they do no good to your health, especially to women, as it affects your reproductive health majorly. So, why is it important to sleep early and how does it benefit women’s health?
Why is sleep necessary?
After having a long day, you will feel refreshed physically and mentally after a good night’s sleep. Have you ever thought why? It is because sleeping is a natural process that helps recharge your body at night, mostly actively functioning during the day. A good sleep is essential for your health and well-being.
How does early sleep impact women's health?
During the night, though you are asleep, your body functions are not. Your endocrine system, the hormone-secreting system, is actively working during the night, secreting reproductive hormones like – estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, etc. An internal clock in our brain called circadian rhythm determines our sleep cycle and plays a huge role in controlling hormone levels. But because of late night sleeping, this cycle gets disturbed, which in turn produces a hormonal imbalance, which is the cause of various menstrual issues and fertility issues. That is why sleep plays a huge role in women’s fertility.
How long is "good sleep"?
Typically, 7-8 hours of sleep is considered a good amount of sleep. However, because of lifestyle changes, there is a delay in going to bed and a reduction in sleep hours. Late night sleep leads to poor sleep and causes severe consequences, like a decline in physical and mental health. Also, many researchers have found that lack of sleep is a reason for many road accidents. To avoid these consequences, going to bed early and practising good sleeping habits is important to keep yourself healthy.
Sleeping Early & Women's Health
Early sleeping holds the most importance for rejuvenating the functioning of your body and mind. But did you know being a woman serves more benefits to your body and well-being in unexpected ways? There are many benefits from sleeping early, and they are :
- Reduced risk of chronic disease
Too little sleep corresponds to a shorter lifespan. That is why early sleeping will regulate a regular sleep cycle and will keep you away from many chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
- Strong immune system
Lack of sleep affects your immune system adversely. When you get proper sleep, it will strengthen your immune system, help you fight back the viruses, and help you quickly recover.
- Improved mental health
Irregular or poor sleep is highly linked with poor mental health. Poor sleep intensifies anxiety and depression in women, who are already at greater risk of these mental illnesses. So, early sleeping will reduce the risk of these psychological distress and improve your mental health.
- Hormonal balance
As mentioned earlier, sleep influences hormonal levels in your body. The habit of early sleeping will keep your mood swings away and control your stress levels by keeping the hormonal levels in balance and keeping you away from different hormonal issues. Also, this will enhance your skin and hair health.
- Good reproductive health
Sleep is an essential factor for pregnancy. Your sleep levels determine your fertility health. Since the hormones are balanced, your ovulation will be regular which influences your reproductive health.
These are the benefits of sleeping early in focus for women. But generally, everyone needs to get proper sleep and maintain good health and well-being. So, develop a healthy sleep habit to get adequate sleep that energizes you the next day.
