Samantha Daly
The Importance of Sleep
Sleep is not a luxury. Having an adequate amount of sleep is important for your survival – especially when it comes to a SHTF situation. Although often overlooked, having poor sleep habits is detrimental to our health and mental processes.
There is a reason why Amnesty International lists sleep deprivation as a form of torture: sleep is more important than food! You can go without food for a week. You would be hungry, weaker, and thinner at the end of it, but you would be okay. You cannot go without sleep for a week. After only several days, you would be completely unable to function. Therefore, although rarely mentioned, sleep is an essential survival skill.
Here are the top 5 reasons sleep should be a priority for any prepper:
Sleep Reduces Illness. Sleeping puts your body into rest mode, during which your immune system is at peak performance, fighting bacteria and viruses that lead to disease. A chronic lack of sleep results in a higher probability of getting illnesses including colds, flu, heart disease, high blood pressure, and weight gain. Coming down with an illness can put you and your caretakers in serious danger in a post-emergency situation, so staying healthy is a top concern and a good night's sleep should be a priority.
Sleep Restores the Body. Every cell in your body benefits from a good night of sleep. While sleeping, your body restores itself from the effects of the stressors and toxins you are exposed to daily. It is also essential in healing after injuries and illness.
Sleep Improves Memory. Your brain keeps working while you fall asleep, sorting and consolidating memories for you to retrieve later. Sleeping processes the day’s events into information that can be easily recalled when needed.
Sleep Reduces Stress. The calming hormones of serotonin and melatonin are released during sleep, helping you relax and mitigate the effects of the stress hormones that have accumulated during the day. Sleep also allows you to maintain a positive outlook by decreasing depression. The ability to think clearly and stay positive in a survival scenario can be lifesaving.
Sleep Increases Physical and Mental Acuity. You need all your wits about you in an emergency. Being well-rested allows your body to respond to hazards with full strength and speed. Any lack of sleep decreases reaction time and reflex acuity and those moments of hesitation can be fatal to even the most well-trained prepper.
Even one night of sleep deprivation can cause decreased memory function and physical performance. Therefore, it is essential to get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep a night, especially if you are facing a survival situation. Sleep, like anything else, is a habit. Start going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day and getting an adequate amount of sleep each night. You will be less likely to get sick, have more energy, and be less stressed. Sleep isn't always easy to come by. Check out our 3 tips for getting sleep when disaster strikes.
Too many people live under the assumption that one less hour of sleep means one more hour of productivity, but even small amounts of a sleep deficit hurt our health, mood, and productivity. It is time to change the way we think about sleep.
What keeps you from getting enough sleep? Share your sleep struggles and successes with other Battlboxers on the Facbook Members Only Page!
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