If there were a magic pill that would make your skin clear, your mood brighter, and your weight healthy, how much would you pay for it? If this pill existed, tons of people would line up to buy it, but the good news is that you can get all these positive side effects and more for free—if you invest in getting consistent quality sleep every night.
An often overlooked pillar of health, sleep is when the body’s restorative processes happen, getting us ready for a fresh start the next morning. Most people would assume that as long as they get their minimum hours of sleep in, then their body is recharged for the next day. While it is important to consider the number of hours of sleep we get, quality sleep is just as important as well. Not only does this maintain our physical health like a well-oiled machine, but it also helps improve one’s mood, immune system, reflexes, posture, and so much more.
Read below to find out the benefits of getting quality sleep and how investing in a top rated orthopedic pillow can change the game and help you become your best self!
Physical benefits of quality sleep
As mentioned earlier, sleep has several benefits for the body. Below are some of them.
- Muscle repair and recovery. When the body enters deep sleep, the brain is in a state of low activity, thus redirecting blood supply to other organs and muscles. Coupled with the body’s lowered blood pressure and slowed down breathing during sleep, having good quality sleep allows muscles to fully heal and recuperate after a tiring day of workouts, errands, or even simply storing tension from sitting at your desk for hours.
- Keeping a healthy metabolism and weight. Several studies suggest an intricate link between poor sleep and metabolic disorders, weight gain, and an irregular appetite. Keeping a regular circadian rhythm is vital in regulating one’s metabolism, glucose intolerance, and insulin resistance, which are several factors at play when trying to maintain a healthy weight. In short, getting good sleep helps keep cravings at bay and fight off extra pounds.
- Pain tolerance. There is a link between sleep deprivation and a lowered pain threshold, which should be taken into account especially by those with chronic pain conditions. This is because your anti-nociceptive pathways, in short, the ability to dampen pain signals, are weakened with less sleep. While the stimuli is the same, the body feels pain more strongly when it is tired and sleep-deprived. On the other hand, getting quality sleep makes us less sensitive towards such stimuli and more resilient throughout the day.
Mood and brain-related benefits of sleep
Aside from the mentioned physical benefits of sleep, here are some ways sleep can help boost your mood and thinking.
- Emotional regulation. Sleep is proven to ease anxiety and keep the brain’s systems, including those in charge of emotions and experiences, running smoothly. It’s also easy to see how being sleep deprived can make someone sad and irritable, which is nothing a good night’s rest can’t fix.
- Knowledge retention. During sleep, everything you have learned in the day is further retained in the brain, like files getting sorted into their respective folders for easier retrieval. Indeed, sleep keeps the brain sharp and alert and is necessary for people like students and professionals who need to stay knowledgeable at all times.
- Reduced stress levels. Cortisol, the stress hormone responsible for our fight or flight response, is the main culprit for keeping an elevated heart rate to prepare for “fight”. A lack of sleep raises cortisol levels and puts the body in a state of distress. Over an extended period of time, this could even lead to heart problems and weight gain. On the other hand, getting quality sleep every night
It’s clear to see how having a good and proper rest leads to a well-balanced life. Why not invest in getting better quality sleep? Most people achieve this by fixing up their sleeping environment—changing up the ambiance of their bedroom, playing relaxing sounds, and avoiding blue light devices—but ultimately, it begins with using the right pillow.
Sleep your way to a healthier you! — with Kanuda pillows
By simply making the shift from regular pillows to orthopedic pillows, you are investing in a better you! Here are some of the ways our orthopedic neck pillow selection can kickstart a healthier lifestyle.
Orthopedic pillows help you breathe better.
We all know how vital oxygen is for humans to live. Thus, it is important to breathe properly, not only in our waking hours but during our 8-10 hours of sleep at night. This is where choosing the right pillow comes into play—depending on how you sleep, you will want to choose a pillow that supports the way you breathe when you sleep. For instance, side sleepers will need a pillow that keeps their neck posture intact, while those who sleep on their belly might want to get something thinner.
Orthopedic pillows help improve posture.
When lying down restfully, the right pillow should support your lordosis, your spine’s natural curvature. This should provide support for your head, neck, and shoulders. Pillow height should also be taken into consideration depending on how someone sleeps. Getting a shoulder pain pillow or an orthopedic pillow for neck posture can ensure that you wake up feeling well-rested and recharged. In fact, maintaining a good sleeping posture can also play a role in sitting and standing upright during the rest of the day.
How do I know which pillow is right for me?
Whatever sleep needs you might have, Kanuda is sure to have something for you. Officially endorsed by the Korean Physical Therapy Association since 2012 and registered with the US FDA since 2013, our pillows are engineered to help any sleep concern.
Take our pillow buying guide quiz today and get started on your journey towards better sleep and better health. Buy an orthopedic pillow for neck pain, back pain, better posture, and more! Sign up today and get 10% off of your first purchase with us.
