Are you among those who do not get enough sleep? If yes, than dear, you are inviting a lots of health problems such as decline in mental performance: reaction time, concentration, memory and logical/analytical reasoning and the list continues.

When you sleep, your brain catalogs the previous day's experiences, primes your memory, and triggers the release of hormones regulating energy, mood, and mental acuity. The amount of necessary sleep varies from person to person, with some breezing through their days on just a few hours and others needing 10 hours of sound rest. But most people need around seven to nine hours of sleep and it's necessary that the person meet this quota for a healthy life.

The following are some most know benefits of sleep:

a) Proper sleep can contribute in controlling body weight. One of the lesser known benefits of sleep is that it helps regulate the hormones that affect and control your appetite. Studies have shown that when your body is deprived of sleep, the normal hormone balances are interrupted and your appetite increases. Unfortunately this increase in appetite doesn't lead to a craving for fruits and veggies, no, instead your body longs for food high in calories, fats and carbohydrates! So, if you're trying to lose those stubborn few pounds that just keep hanging around, make sure that getting enough sleep becomes a priority.

b) Proper sleep reduces risk of depression. Sleep impacts many of the chemicals in your body, including serotonin. People with a deficiency in serotonin are more likely to suffer from depression. You can help to prevent depression by making sure you are getting the right amount of sleep, between 7 and 9 hours each night.

c) Proper sleep can reduce cancer risk. Studies have shown a lack of sleep interferes with the production of a hormone called melatonin, and that may play an important role in preventing cancer.

d) Helps maintain a healthy heart. Your heart and cardiovascular system is constantly under pressure, and one of the benefits of sleep is that it helps to reduce the levels of stress and inflammation in your body. High levels of 'inflammatory markers' are linked to heart attacks, heart disease and strokes. Sleep can also help keep blood pressure and cholesterol levels (which play a role in heart disease) lower.

By now you would have got sufficient idea, of the importance of sleep. So sleep well!