Being sleep deprived has been linked to workplace issues like absenteeism, lack of productivity, poor work performance and on-the-job accidents. Our bodies need sleep – here are 10 important reasons why.

1. Sleep keeps you focused

On 8 January 1964, 17-year-old Randy Gardner from California set the world record for staying awake – 11 days and 25 minutes. By the second day, he was struggling to focus, and slurred when speaking. By the 11th, he couldn’t do simple sums (he forgot what he was supposed to be doing and simply stopped), had become paranoid, and couldn’t stand certain smells. While Randy recovered remarkably quickly others have died from going without sleep for days.

2. Sleeping can improve your health

A University of California study found that people who sleep only six hours a night or less are four times more likely to catch a cold. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, remind yourself of this next time you push yourself to stay awake to get that one more thing done.

3. It boosts your brainpower

The US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke believes that sleep removes toxins that build up in the brain while we are awake. This helps the brain’s neurons to communicate with each other, and if your neurons are firing on all cylinders, so are you.

4. Shift workers, take note

Shift workers tend to have more on-the-job accidents when they are tired or sleepy, reports the British Medical Journal. While irregular working hours make it difficult to stick to a routine, try your best, and don’t delay going to bed when you get home. The longer you stay up, the more awake you will become and the more you will struggle to fall asleep.

5. Sleep more to eat less

Have you ever craved certain foods when you’re exhausted? That’s because a lack of sleep increases the stress hormones as well as ghrelin, the 'hunger hormone', in the body. As a result, you tend to want more energy-rich carbohydrates and sugars, and could gain weight.

6. Rest improves your productivity

According to Stanford University, productivity per hour declines sharply after a 50-hour working week, and there’s no point in carrying on once you pass 55 hours. So, don’t burn the midnight oil if you want to be on top of your game.

7. Sleep helps you look healthy

When Julie Hembree, a New York City photographer, photographed several young people after they’d been awake for 48 hours and again after they’d had eight hours’ sleep, the results were clear: they all looked healthier, happier and friendlier after some shut-eye.

8. Sleep keeps you ‘sober’ at work

According to Harvard Business Review, workers who slept only four hours for four or five nights in a row were slower and couldn’t solve problems or make decisions. In fact, Harvard Medical School Professor Clifford Saper reported that their brains worked no better than that of someone who is legally drunk.

9. It helps your body fight cancer

‘After just one night of only four or five hours’ sleep, your natural killer cells – the ones that attack the cancer cells that appear in your body every day – drop by 70%,’ neuroscientist Matthew Walker, who has been studying sleep for more than 20 years, told The Guardian.

10. Sleep makes you happy

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that people were more angry, stressed and mentally exhausted after being sleep-deprived (limited to 4.5 hours of sleep a night) for a week. As soon as they went back to sleeping normal hours, their moods improved dramatically.

Please note, this information is intended as a general guideline. If you have ongoing problems with insomnia, consult a medical practitioner or healthcare professional.