LOCAL
Need to build muscle and improve your immune system? Sleep on it!
Emily Marrison
Coshocton Tribune
Aug. 21, 2026, 5:01 a.m. ET
Last week was the six-month reunion of the Heart Healthy Living class. It was a fun evening to reconnect, try some heart-healthy snacks and review the lessons from February about the importance of blood pressure, cholesterol and stress management for healthy hearts
Our main lesson for the evening was about sleep. Does that surprise you? The American Heart Association considers healthy sleep one of “Life’s Essential 8.” These eight items include four health behaviors and four health factors. The four essential behaviors for better heart health are to eat better, be more active, quit tobacco and get healthy sleep
When it comes to living a healthy lifestyle, sleep is probably not what most people first think about. But sleep impacts all body systems. Without enough quality sleep, your body cannot repair and recover well. This is true for your heart and the systems that connect and are influenced by it
Here are some of the benefits of good sleep:
- Healing and repair of cells, tissues and blood vessels
- Stronger immune system
- Better brain function including alertness, decision-making, focus, learning, memory, reasoning and problem-solving
- Healthy growth and development for kids and teens
- Better ability to build muscle
- Less risk of chronic disease
On the flip side, poor sleep and inadequate sleep may put you at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and depression. Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 35% of American adults average fewer than seven hours of sleep nightly.
Have you ever stopped to think sleeping is kind of strange? We end up spending about one-third of our lives asleep. Sleep is not just to make us feel rested or less groggy or less irritable. Our bodies go through specific processes every night needed for good health. Sleep is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle
Dr. Michael Grandner of the sleep and health research program at the University of Arizona College of Medicine has some great insights about what happens when we sleep. The first few hours of sleep are the deepest. This is when the body performs tissue growth and repair, allowing for healing and restoration to occur. This is also when the brain flushes out waste products
Next comes REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is a lighter type of sleep. The brain is active during this stage, but the body is immobile. This is when dreams and nightmares occur. Grandner says, “If you cut your sleep hours short, most of what you’ve deprived yourself of is REM sleep. This can interfere with learning, memory and mood, which are all regulated during this stage of sleep.”
During the final stage of sleep, more mental recovery and healing occur. The body finishes the physical recovery work begun during deep sleep
Sleep experts suggest several habits for better sleep hygiene or healthy sleep practices. One of the top suggestions is to keep a consistent schedule, which applies to weekdays and weekends. Give your body cues it is time to wind down in the evening, like taking a bath or quietly reading a book. Limit screen time. Keep your bedroom cool and dark
If you try all these things and still find it difficult to sleep well, then you may need assistance from a sleep specialist. Be sure to share with your care provider concerns you have about getting enough healthy sleep
Today, I’ll leave you with this quote from Ryan Hurd, “Sleep deprivation is an illegal torture method outlawed by the Geneva Convention and international courts, but most of us do it to ourselves.”
Emily Marrison is an Assistant Professor, Family and Consumer Sciences for Ohio State University Extension in Coshocton County. She may be reached at 740-622-2265 ormarrison.12@osu.edu
