Between holding a job, practicing self care, engaging with valued people, and more, everyday life can demand an enormous amount of time. Many do not want, or cannot afford, to cut back on the activities they engage with when they are awake. Willingly giving up time with loved ones or a needed shift are never fun decisions to be made. Instead, a popular solution to these conundrums has been to skimp out on the hours spent sleeping. The logic here is that why “waste” time spent doing nothing when something could be done? While this may seem logical on some level, and it is sometimes applauded, cheating the hours needed for rest is a surefire way to bring unwanted consequences. On top of this, getting enough sleep offers many benefits. Actress Jena Malone put it best, “I think sleep’s really important. I value it as much as waking up and having a full day.”

All this being said, what are the reasons why you need eight hours of sleep? We connected with a variety of people to uncover their answers to this question.  mattress sale

Avoid gaining weight

Udaldo Perez is the CEO of Hush, a brand offering pain and healing management products for the entirety of the tattoo process. He suggests that sleeping enough each night is a wonderful way to prevent putting on unwanted weight. 

“Have you ever noticed that when you’re running on lack of sleep that you’re hungrier than you are when rested? There’s a couple of good reasons for this. First, not sleeping results in your body not creating enough of the hormone that tells your brain you have had enough to eat. Second, your body actually makes more of the hormone that indicates you’re hungry. When paired together, this is a recipe for disaster when it comes to weight management. If you’re trying to avoid gaining weight, check in on how many hours you’re sleeping.”

Positive attitude

The phrase “I woke up on the wrong side of the bed” has real world meaning despite whatever joking manner it is traditionally used in. Zizi is a business providing medication-free alternatives to lowering cholesterol. Their co-founder, Reece Kresser, advises others to get their hours in so as to ward off grumpiness. 

“Everyone’s had the day where their poor night’s sleep resulted in a bad or crabby attitude which followed them throughout. Logically, it would seem that attitude is a by-product of the lack of sleep. But, there’s more happening here than what meets the eye. When you sleep, your brain actually processes the events of the day. If that process isn’t given sufficient time, it can leave a bad taste in your braid per se. In the long run, repeating this can be very damaging so make sure you’re sleeping plenty.”

Heart health

SONU specializes in a variety of sleep related products such as mattresses and pillows. Their CEO, Bradley Hall, considers sleep to be immensely beneficial for cardiovascular wellness.

“For how frequently everyone goes to sleep, it’s really surprising that we don’t talk about all the ways sleep impacts our health. In general, I see sleep being discussed as simply the thing needed to be done in order to recover from the previous day and prepare for the next. While true, proper sleep has a far reaching impact that is never talked about: heart health. Not sleeping enough actually raises the chances of ending up with high blood pressure or even a  heart disease. Furthermore, for every hour of sleep you forgo, you raise those odds even further.”

Cognitivity 

Michael Hennessy is the founder and CEO of Diathrive, a brand focused on diabetes care with affordability. He cautions against neglecting sleep as doing so can be harmful to brain function. 

“Whether we like it or not, the reality is that we do not function as well when we’re tired. Obviously, our physical energy is lacking, but that may not be the most influential exhaustion. Without sleep, our brains quickly become a mess. You’re more prone to memory loss as well as problems focusing and being aware of your surroundings. In some lines of work this could simply mean a lack of productivity. In others, it could spell disaster. But, your job type shouldn’t dictate how much sleep you get. Cognitivity is king in the working world.”

Productivity

Staying late at work is a shared experience on a global scale. Additional work may seem like a benefit to the company. However, repeated instances of this begins to hurt the work itself. Cleared is a clinic service with home delivery. Their CMO and co-founder, Dr. Payel Gupta, proposes an approach different from staying late.

“As soon as you let your work cut into the amount of time you spend sleeping, your quality of work begins to suffer. This is even true if you’re working more hours than you normally would. It may seem appealing to put in some extra time to impress your superiors or simply get ahead. That type of drive is commendable, but the execution is potentially damaging. That being said, you should attempt to channel this energy into accomplishing more with a workday so as to be more productive.”

Immune system

Able specializes in virtual coaching and weight management. Their CEO, Roman Taranoc, believes an adequate amount of sleep is necessary for maintaining a strong physical body.

“Nobody wants to be sick. When we are sick, it’s the most miserable experience that we wish would end immediately. It gets in the way of everything and can take longer than we like to come back from fully. If you’re not sleeping enough, you’re giving your body a greater chance of getting sick with something. By sleeping, you’re essentially powering up your immune system so that it is ready to face another day of germs. If there’s a guaranteed way to fall behind at work it’s getting sick. On the other hand, a night’s rest can help keep you from spending the day with a tissue box as a best friend.”

Restoration

While the world’s best athletes may use cryogenic chambers to recover from an event, recovery is not limited to top-tier technology. Greater Than is a brand offering a wellness drink specifically for pregnant women. Mark Sider is their co-founder while Bryan Alston is their co-founder and CMO. Sider considers sleep to be a vessel of recovery.

“Just because you might feel that your time would be better used doing things other than sleeping doesn’t mean you should skip out. You may not always feel it, especially in your younger years, but every time you sleep your body restores itself. It’s like when you’ve had surgery or even just a minor cold, you naturally desire sleep and after waking up you generally feel better.”

Mental health

Nue Life is a business providing psychedelics for the purpose of mental wellness. Their co-founder and CEO, Juan Pablo Cappello, advises eight hours of sleep a night so as to better position oneself for any potential mental health issues. 

“One of the first things that any psychiatrist or therapist will tell you is that many mental disorders are either triggered or heightened by not sleeping enough. This is something that we really don’t talk about when it comes to sleep. Regardless of whether you struggle with something along these lines or not, sleeping should be an utmost priority as an insufficient amount does a number one to anyone’s mental wellbeing. It might seem feasible to give up sleep on a daily basis but you have to remember that you only have one brain and you have to take care of it.”
Based on everything above, it is apparent that sleep is a necessity. From the benefits to the issues avoided, there are numerous reasons why you need eight hours of sleep. Good sleep should be a habit, not just an empty task. Pro athlete Tom Brady summed this up, “Proper sleep has helped me get to where I am today as an athlete, and it is something that I continue to rely on every day.”