The Benefits Of A Good Night’s Sleep

Written by Manny Erlich on August 2, 2012. Posted in Sleep Disorder News & Research, Snoring 101

Why is a good night’s sleep so important? Few things make you feel better than a great nightly slumber: you wake up refreshed and ready to meet the challenges of your day.  But do you know why this is?  Because during sleep your memory is enhanced.  In fact, you are more likely to perform better on an exam after a good night’s sleep versus pulling an all-nighter.

A Good Night’s Sleep Enhances Brain Connection

Studies with animals show that sleep significantly enhances brain connections during early development.  Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, tested the effect of sleep on brain plasticity in young cats.  The ones that were allowed to sleep for six hours after stimulation developed twice the amount of brain change compared to cats kept awake.

According to Michael P. Stryker, Ph.D., the study’s senior author, these results suggest that different areas of the brain have different critical developmental periods.  What’s more, the connections between nerve cells in the brain depends on the amount of deep sleep a person gets, and since babies and young children get three times the amount of deep sleep than adults, Dr. Stryker concluded that it is precisely the time when their brains develops the best nerve connections.

In Summary

Getting a good night’s sleep is important for your well-being.  Loud snoring keeps you and your sleeping partner from getting a good night’s sleep, which, in turn, adversely affects your behavior (this is especially true for children.)  Remember: while snoring may seem harmless, it may be a symptom of a greater problem.  So, if you (or your child) snore, make sure to talk about it with your dentist or doctor.

You can read more articles on living with snoring or how to stop snoring by exloring our Snoring 101 section or exploring our most recent and most popular articles below.

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Manny Erlich

International Foundation of Employee Benefits - Certified Employee Benefits Specialist

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