We all know that sleep is important for our wellbeing – but did you know the major impact the lack of this superpower can have on our health?
As we mark World Health Day 2025 next week [Monday April 7], Chris Tattersall, sleep environment expert and managing director of Woolroom, the UK’s premium wool bedding brand, urges us to wake up to the benefits of sleep.
From obesity and poor memory to heart issues, stress and irritability, the health risks we face through the lack of a good night’s rest could be a ticking time bomb for our bodies.
Sleep is as essential to good health as drinking water, eating and breathing, according to a recent study by the Mental Health Foundation. Getting the right amount of deep, restorative sleep each night is vital for your body to recover and repair, while an insufficient amount can result in a multitude of health issues.
In our latest Clean Sleep Report, 82% of people identified a good night’s sleep as important to their general mood, while 48% said they feel more anxious after a bad night’s sleep. Despite this, 60% admitted to getting less than six hours’ sleep per night.
Here are just some of the ways that sleep can affect our health:
Brain function
Sleep is not just the ideal time for your body to rest and recover, it also gives your brain chance to process all the information it has gathered during the day. Without sleep, your nerve cells’ ability to communicate is impacted and your brain cannot form or maintain the pathways needed for learning or consolidating new memories into long-term storage.
As a result, brain functions such as cognition, concentration, productivity and performance are all affected. That will likely leave you struggling to complete tasks, regulate your emotions or make sound decisions.
Heart issues
Although it isn’t 100% clear what the link between sleep and heart health is, poor sleep can lead to higher stress levels and inflammation in the cardiovascular system, which can increase the chances of suffering from a stroke or heart condition.
Studies have also shown that a good night’s sleep reduces the risk of coronary heart disease. Without quality periods of rest, your body isn’t as capable of lowering the blood pressure and heart rate while asleep.
Stress
A recent survey reported lack of sleep as the biggest contributor to stress in the UK, with 41% of adults citing tiredness as their primary source of anxiety, surpassing financial worries, workload concerns, and family issues.
In the short term, a lack of sleep can lead to low mood and irritability. In the long term, it can leave you struggling emotionally and mentally – potentially the start of a vicious cycle of stress and exhaustion, with one issue feeding the other.
The best way to break the cycle is to establish a calming sleep routine and create an environment that supports deep, healthy sleep. I would recommend maintaining a consistent bedtime and wake-up schedule and incorporating natural bedding, such as wool duvets and wool pillows, which will work in harmony with your body.
Weight gain
Several studies have shown a link between insufficient sleep and weight gain, with those getting less than six hours per night more likely to have a higher body mass index (BMI) than those sleeping for eight hours.
When we don’t get enough sleep our bodies produce more ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates appetite, and less leptin, the hormone that signals to your brain that you’re full. As a result, increased tiredness often leads to overeating – or a craving for sugary foods that give a quick energy boost. Weight gain can be the result as the body struggles to stabilise those hormones.
Infections
Good quality sleep is crucial for maintaining a strong immune system to fight off illness and infection. A lack of sleep can lead to a lack of proteins called cytokines, which are produced during sleep and target infections and inflammation.
A study on sleep habits and susceptibility to the common cold even found that people who routinely get less than seven hours of sleep a night are three times more likely to develop a cold than those getting eight hours.
If you do find you’re struggling to sleep because of pesky colds and allergens, I would recommend investing in naturally hypoallergenic wool bedding, which boasts antimicrobial properties and offers protection against bacteria and other microbes that could exacerbate your issues and disturb your sleep.
To explore Woolroom’s full range of natural and hypoallergenic bedding visit: https://www.thewoolroom.com/
