Physical Health and Sleep

Sleep is essential to our survival—without it, our bodies suffer in more ways than one. Your sleep plays a role in all aspects of your life, but it has an especially important connection to your physical health and well-being. 

Sleep is a key time for many of the body’s healing processes. While you sleep, your brain is busy at work consolidating memories, your tissues have time for growth and repair, and you restore your energy for the next day. When you miss out on quality sleep time, the consequences can be severe.

But sometimes, physical ailments get in the way of a good night’s sleep. Here you will find all of our guides that cover the two-way relationship between sleep and physical health. 

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The Connection Between Sleep and Physical Health

Sleep is a key component to your basic health. Those who skimp out on sleep will feel the effects on their physical well-being in the short- and long-term. 

Sleep deprivation, a state of not getting the required amount of sleep your body needs, can increase your risk of serious health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. 

In the short-term, you’ll feel the effects of sleep deprivation on your mood and energy levels. Grogginess, irritability, and trouble concentrating are all on the short-list of the immediate consequences of lacking sleep. If it becomes a chronic problem, you may start experiencing other effects such as more cravings for carbohydrates, a compromised immune system, low sex drive, or even memory loss.

See our resources below to learn more about the ties between your sleep and physical state of well-being.

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Pain Management

If you deal with managing pain, it can feel impossible to get a good night’s sleep. And if you can’t get restorative rest, your body will not have time to heal. 

This is a vicious (and painful) cycle that’s difficult to escape. View our resources dedicated to helping you navigate the challenges of sleeping with pain. 

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Sleeping with Health Conditions

Many health conditions and the medications used to treat them can interfere with your sleep. When you’re already busy coping with a health condition, trouble getting comfortable sleep is more than inconvenient—it’s counterintuitive to your healing. 

Below you’ll find our resources explaining common sleep problems associated with specific health conditions and options for what you can do to get a better night’s sleep.

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Sleep and Fitness 

If you’re an athlete or an active person, you know sleep is a critical component to your fitness routine. Sleep is an important time for rest and repair for active people who regularly physically exert themselves and their muscles in their workouts. 

While you sleep, your body releases hormones, specifically the Human Growth Hormone (HGH), to promote growth and regeneration. When you slack on your sleep, your hormones become disrupted, which can even end up affecting your weight.

Learn more about the key healing processes that take place during your sleep and why they’re important to your fitness routine in our resources below.