1. You’ll Stay Healthy

Sleep helps keep your immune system humming along as it should. That means that enough shut-eye offers protection from myriad health issues, from the common cold to heart disease. That’s because a lack of sleep messes with your body’s ability to fight off harmful viruses and bacteria and your overall health declines, which puts you at risk. So, of all the reasons why you need more sleep, this might be the most important.

2. Higher Pain Threshold

No, sleep won’t stop a stubbed toe or a paper cut from hurting, but if you have chronic pain from a health condition or injury, getting forty winks can make it hurt less. Getting enough sleep can mimic pain medications, which can help you throughout the day. If pain keeps you up at night, talk to your doctor about sleep aids that can get you on the right track.

3. Less Risk of Injury

Think about how you feel when you’re super tired. You probably have trouble thinking as quickly on your feet as you do after plenty of rest. Chances are, you might find yourself bumping in to things or stumbling around too. That puts you at risk of getting hurt. As if being tired weren’t enough, don’t make it worse by injuring yourself! Get enough sleep and you’ll probably notice that these issues get better.

4. Appetite Control

Ever notice yourself gorging on junk food after a night with just a few hours of sleep? That’s because being fatigued messes with hormone production, including those that stop your appetite from raging. If you are chronically sleep deprived, you might find yourself putting on weight. So getting to bed earlier and slumbering for longer is an easy way to stop your cravings and even shed some unwanted weight.

5. Better Mood

Nothing makes me cranky and irritable like being tired. If you’re the same way, skimping on sleep can make you hard to be around. When you’re low on sleep, your body and brain aren’t able to regulate your emotions as efficiently as when you’re well rested. So deciding to have a television marathon or just one more drink at the bar can make you an unhappy person the following day.

6. Stellar Memory

It takes a lot of energy to keep yourself alert and awake when what you really need is some shut-eye. That means you have less energy left to remember stuff. That’s a problem if you want to succeed at work or school. Forgetting vital tasks can put you and others at risk of injury and can make you less than successful on the job or with your college coursework. On the other hand, plenty of sleep has the opposite effect by helping your memory stay in tip-top shape.

7. Lowered Stress

Remember how being tired takes a lot of your energy? That means that you are easily stressed when it comes to having the get up and go to get your other things done. It can be pretty frustrating to have a big project to get done and you just can’t get yourself together to finish. Hitting the sack at an earlier hour each day counteracts this and gives you the fuel you need to get it all done. Also, lack of sleep can make it harder to deal with stressors effectively, so some additional pillow time is a good idea.

Do you get enough sleep? I like to think I do, but nodding off in front of the television more nights than not tells me otherwise. How do you make sure you get enough sleep?