Why does sleep feel SOOOOOO good?

During continuous sleep, your body bounces between brain-restoring REM sleep and body-rebuilding non-REM sleep. Both processes help you recover from the stresses of the day and prepare you for the one ahead. (File Photo: Vladislav Muslakov/Unsplash)

When you wake you from a sound night of sleep or a great nap, face it, you feel like a million bucks. Your head is clear and your whole body feel rejuvenated.

Whether you are a toddler or a grumpy old man, you know that solid sleep makes you a nicer, more patient and less tantrum-prone human being. That leads to the question: What magic is unfolding in those precious hours?

Sleep cycles for your brain and body

During continuous sleep, your body bounces between brain-restoring REM sleep and body-rebuilding non-REM sleep. Both processes help you recover from the stresses of the day and prepare you for the one ahead.

While it’s clear why you want good sleep to clear your head, it’s helpful to understand what it does to support the rest of you.

During non-REM sleep, your blood-hungry brain rests, allowing more oxygen and nutrients to flow to your muscles. That blood flow helps them heal and grow, by regenerating new cells.

At the same time, your pituitary gland delivers a shot of growth hormone to stimulate new tissue growth and muscle repair. Without this dose of self-healing elixir, you are more likely to lose muscle mass, gain excessive weight and lose capacity to exercise.

Laying the groundwork for years ahead

As the teenagers in your life may demonstrate, uninterrupted sleep is particularly important for this age group. Not only are they developing life-long habits right now, they are also going through tremendous growth and hormone development. They need 9.5 hours of sleep each night to grow into healthy adults.

This is the time when testosterone and other growth hormones are released to build new bones and tissues as these busy humans get taller and fill out.  They also get a dose of appetite-suppressing leptin – meaning less mindless snacking to boost their energy.

Eating habits developed at this phase of life will last well into adulthood; by sleeping well, you are saving yourself from gaining an extra 50 pounds – via 560 extra calories per day – according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Face it, many teens are pushing themselves to make good grades so they can follow their desired career path, so you want them to be sharp. As they push themselves harder in sports — maybe to pursue a scholarship or just to fit in — they also need good sleep for their bodies to recover from that extra strain.

Getting the right bed

While this is going on inside your cells, you can play your part by enjoying your body is comfortable as it rests. Make sure you relax before bedtime and avoid blue light-emitting devices that tell your brain to stay awake.

You will want to get a mattress that supports your muscles so your body gets the message to let go at the end of the day. With so many companies selling quality mattresses online right now in Canada, there is no excuse to wait until you get a chance to go shop for one. The mattress industry has evolved in many ways to offer more options, delivered right to your door.

Given the current stresses related to the pandemic, you want to make sure your whole family gets the tools they need to stay healthy. Whether the goal is staying focused on those final lessons in school or getting enough exercise, a full night of sleep helps to reach it without fighting through a brain fog.