10 Benefits of Getting More Sleep

Sleep is often sacrificed in today’s fast-paced world. Whether due to long work hours, parenting demands, late-night screen time, or insomnia, millions across the UK are simply not getting enough rest. Yet research consistently shows that getting more sleep can profoundly improve every aspect of health and well-being.

So, what happens when sleep is prioritised instead of skipped? Here are ten research-backed benefits of getting more sleep — and why an early night might be the most powerful health investment anyone can make.

1. Improved Brain Function and Memory

Sleep is essential for brain health. During the deeper stages of non-REM sleep, the brain consolidates memories, removes waste, and reinforces learning.

Research shows that sleep plays a vital role in neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to adapt, change, and reorganise itself. This process is essential for learning, memory consolidation, and cognitive flexibility. According to a 2024 paper titled Overnight neuronal plasticity and adaptation to emotional distress, sleep enables the brain to modify synaptic connections and adapt to emotional challenges, enhancing both memory and problem-solving skills.

Lack of sleep, on the other hand, reduces attention span, impairs judgement, and slows cognitive processing. Even short-term sleep deprivation has been shown to reduce working memory and reaction time — two things crucial for everyday functioning.

Related read: Sleep Inertia: What It Is and How to Beat It

2. Lower Risk of Heart Disease

The heart benefits greatly from adequate sleep. Chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to high blood pressure, inflammation, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

A large UK Biobank study published in European Heart Journal found that people who consistently sleep less than six hours a night have a significantly higher risk of heart attacks, even after accounting for other health factors.

Quality sleep helps regulate blood pressure and supports vascular repair. It's also closely tied to heart rate variability during sleep, an important marker of cardiovascular resilience.

Explore more: Sleeping Heart Rate: What’s Normal?

3. Enhanced Mood and Emotional Resilience

Anyone who has felt short-tempered or emotionally flat after a poor night’s sleep already understands the link between sleep and mood. Research goes further than everyday experience. Studies from the University of Oxford and King's College London have shown that insufficient sleep is associated with a higher risk of anxiety, depression, and emotional instability.

Sleep plays a key role in how the amygdala, the brain region involved in emotional reactivity, communicates with the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for impulse control and rational decision-making. When sleep is restricted, this connection weakens, making emotional responses more intense and harder to regulate. By contrast, adequate sleep reduces stress reactivity, improves emotional regulation, and lowers the long-term risk of mood disorders, supporting more stable mental health overall.

4. Stronger Immune Function

More sleep means better immunity. During sleep, the immune system releases cytokines, which help fight infection and inflammation. Chronic sleep restriction reduces the production of these vital molecules.

A landmark study from the University of California found that people who slept less than six hours were four times more likely to catch a cold after virus exposure compared to those who slept more than seven.

Want to stay well this winter? Start by sleeping more.

5. Healthier Weight and Appetite Control

Sleep plays a central role in regulating appetite and metabolism. It directly influences levels of ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates hunger, and leptin, the hormone responsible for signalling fullness. When sleep is restricted, ghrelin levels tend to rise while leptin levels fall, a combination that increases appetite and makes overeating more likely, particularly for energy-dense foods.

Sleep deprivation also disrupts glucose metabolism and reduces insulin sensitivity, which can promote fat storage and raise the risk of weight gain over time, as well as increasing the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. Consistently adequate sleep helps stabilise blood sugar levels, supports more balanced hunger signals, and makes it easier to manage cravings and choose healthier foods. In this way, good sleep underpins both effective weight loss and long-term weight maintenance by supporting the body’s hormonal and metabolic balance.

Related blog: How Sleep Affects Your Weight

6. Increased Physical Performance

Recovery has always been central to athletic performance, but sleep plays an equally important role in physical capacity for non-athletes. Research consistently shows that sleep quality and duration influence strength, speed, coordination, and endurance, regardless of training level. A well-known study from Stanford University found that basketball players who extended their nightly sleep experienced measurable improvements in sprint speed, shooting accuracy, and reaction time, highlighting how additional sleep can translate directly into better physical output.

According to Dr. Beth Frates, director of lifestyle medicine and wellness in the department of surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital:

Sleep supports muscle repair and growth by facilitating protein synthesis and tissue recovery, while also regulating key hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone that underpin physical adaptation. Adequate sleep is also associated with a lower risk of injury, as fatigue impairs coordination, reaction time, and decision-making. Whether preparing for a competitive event or simply aiming for more daily energy and resilience, sleep functions as a powerful and often overlooked performance enhancer.

Explore: Sleep and Testosterone: What’s the Link?

7. Better Skin and Slower Ageing

Beauty sleep isn’t just a phrase. During sleep, blood flow to the skin increases, supporting cell turnover and collagen production.

A 2015 study by Estée Lauder and University Hospitals Case Medical Center found that people who slept less had increased signs of skin ageing, reduced skin barrier recovery, and more uneven pigmentation. Dr. Daniel Yarosh, Senior Vice President, Basic Science Research, R&D, at The Estée Lauder Companies commented:

Sleep also reduces stress hormones like cortisol, which can break down skin collagen and contribute to premature ageing.

8. Hormonal Balance

Sleep is essential for hormonal balance across the body, influencing metabolism, stress, growth, and reproductive health. Many key hormones are regulated by the circadian rhythm, which depends on consistent, adequate sleep.

Hormones affected by sleep include melatonin, which regulates sleep timing, cortisol, which governs the stress response, insulin, which controls blood sugar, and reproductive hormones such as testosterone and oestrogen. When sleep is disrupted, the circadian rhythm is thrown off, leading to irregular hormone release. Over time, this can contribute to menstrual irregularities, increased PMS symptoms, reduced libido, and metabolic problems.

9. Reduced Risk of Chronic Diseases

Sleep acts as a powerful protector of long-term health. Chronic sleep deficiency has been linked to a higher risk of conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity, depression, stroke, and certain cancers. According to the NHS and Public Health England, poor sleep remains one of the most under-recognised yet impactful risk factors for chronic illness in the UK.

In contrast, consistent high-quality sleep helps reduce systemic inflammation, supports healthy metabolic function, and contributes to greater resilience as the body ages. Over time, this protective effect can play a meaningful role in maintaining health and longevity.

10. Sharper Creativity and Problem Solving

Sleep supports more than memory and concentration, it also plays a key role in creativity and problem-solving. Adequate sleep enhances divergent thinking, creative insight, and the ability to form novel connections between ideas.

A well-known study from Harvard University found that people who slept on a problem were significantly more likely to discover a hidden rule needed to solve it compared with those who stayed awake. Dreaming, particularly during REM sleep, has also been shown to support associative thinking, which underpins creativity. For centuries, writers, scientists, and artists have recognised sleep as a powerful catalyst for creative breakthroughs rather than a barrier to them.

Explore more: Vivid Dreaming: Science, Symbolism, and Sleep Cycles

Final Thoughts: Prioritising Sleep Is Smart, Not Lazy

In a culture that rewards constant activity and long hours, prioritising sleep can feel self-indulgent. The evidence points the other way. Better sleep supports clearer thinking, steadier mood, stronger immunity, and more reliable energy. These benefits add up quietly but powerfully over time.

The goal is not perfect sleep every night, but consistency. Small changes matter. Going to bed a little earlier, tightening up basic sleep habits, or trialling simple options such as magnesium or melatonin can all make a difference. Improving sleep is rarely dramatic, but it is one of the most dependable ways to improve overall health.

Sleep Benefits FAQs