The most obvious effect of sleep is that it makes you feel better and for beauty conscious ladies, it prevents dark circles under eyes. However, the importance of adequate sleep goes way beyond these two universal benefits. Proper sleep at night is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle and can benefit almost every single organ of your body, from the skin to the brain and the heart. Here are some proven health benefits that will force you to increase your night’s sleep by a couple of hours.

Improve memory

You would be surprised to know that your mind remains busy while you sleep, which helps strengthen your memory and “practice” all you learn while you are awake. In simple words, if you are trying to learn something that is totally new to you, you’ll learn it better after sleeping.

Live longer

Studies have shown that sleep also affects quality of life. Both too much and too little sleep are related to short lifespans, but its not conclusive yet, since illness can also affect sleep patterns. A study carried out on women aging between 50 and 79 concluded that more deaths occurred to women who got less than 5 hours or more than 6.5 hours of sleep every night.

However, good sleep is usually associated with a healthy life.

Curb inflammation

Inflammation is associated with diabetes, arthritis, stroke and heart attack. Research has shown that people who get less sleep at night (six hours or less) have higher levels of inflammatory proteins in their blood than those who sleep more. People suffering from sleep disorders, sleep apnea or insomnia, can reduce inflammation in their blood vessels by treating the respective sleep disorders.

Spur creativity

Besides improving memory and increasing your quality of life, a sound sleep at night also spurs creativity. So if you are a painter, or an artist, get a good night’s sleep before planning your new project.

Improve your kid’s grades

Sound sleep at night is equally important for growing children. Young kids are usually energetic and do not feel fatigued after playing and cycling for hours. Parents usually ignore their children’s sleeping routine believing they are young and energetic. However, inadequate sleep affects their learning skills, which significantly affects their grades. If you want your kid to secure good grades, make sure he/she gets at least eight hours of  sleep at night.

Sharpen your child’s attention

A study has revealed that children between ages of seven and eight who got less than eight hours of sleep at night were less attentive than those who got proper sleep. Lack of sleep also makes children hyperactive and impulsive.