More research seems to come out daily on how important quality sleep is to our health. A new book called Sleep to Heal: 7 Simple Steps to Better Sleep (Humanix) outlines not only ways to improve your sleep, but also the incredible benefits you will derive.

Dr. Abhinav Singh unlocks the secrets of sleep and its link to success and well-being. He also outlines ways to improve your personal sleep habits. Singh, who has helped more than 7,000 patients sleep better and become happier and healthier people as a result, says, “It’s almost overwhelming to see how many bountiful gifts sleep gives us all in one place.”

Here are some of the health benefits of sleep:

• More energy. “When you get the optimal quality and quantity of sleep, your body repairs and clears away the metabolic waste products that accumulate in your brain as you use energy,” says Singh. “Eight hours of sleep ‘power washes’ all the gunk away and rests your body so you can step out of bed feeling refreshed, restored and revitalized.”

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• Slows the aging process. Singh says that a 2015 study by UCLA researchers found that just a single night of sleep loss was linked to DNA damage and biological aging in adults. Another UCLA study from 2021 looked at new moms six months after birth and found that those who slept less than seven hours a night aged three to seven years faster than their well-rested counterparts.

• Require fewer medications. “I’ve seen this time and again with my very own patients,” says Singh, who is board-certified in sleep and internal medicine. “When we are able to restore their sleep, oftentimes they go on to drop their sleeping pills, reduce antidepressants, and sometimes even lower their heart or blood pressure medications.”

• Reduces risk for diabetes. Sleep loss seems to put otherwise healthy individuals at a higher risk of developing diabetes. Research has found that even one night of sleep deprivation can induce insulin resistance in the body.

• Strengthens the heart. Your heart is a muscle, too, says Singh, the medical director at the Indiana Sleep Center, so you must take care of it. Lack of sleep is associated with a whole host of heart problems, including hypertension, heart failure, arrhythmia, and atherosclerosis. A 2019 study found a 20% increase in heart attacks in people who slept less than six hours a night.

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• May promote weight loss. Science shows us that sleep loss makes you hungrier and less disciplined, says Singh in his new book, Sleep to Heal (Humanix). “When you’re tired, you’re not reaching for a kale salad — you want calorie-dense comfort foods like doughnuts, fries, and candy bars. A recent study in 2022 from the University of Chicago and the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that participants who extended their sleep by 1.2 hours nightly to achieve a goal of 8.5 hours in bed, reduced their calorie intake by 270 calories per day. “That adds up to about 26 pounds of weight loss over three years, assuming the healthy sleep habit is maintained,” notes Singh. The old saying “you snooze, you lose” takes on a more positive meaning in this context, says the expert.

• Better balance. When you are sleep deprived, you are just as impaired as if you were drunk. You are more likely to sway and lose postural stability and less likely to catch yourself if you trip or fall. “When older adults sleep poorly and wake up off-balance, they are more likely to suffer from dangerous and even life-threatening falls and potential factures,” says Singh.

• Improved athletic performance. In Sleep to Heal, Singh reveals how better sleep has helped athletes improve their performance. For example, a Stanford University  study found that basketball players who slept 10 hours nightly increased their free throw accuracy by 9% in addition to faster sprint times. “The good news is that you do not have to be a professional athlete to experience the physical benefits of sleep,” says Singh.

• Healthier hair. Different hormones, such as the human growth hormone, affect hair growth. Some research suggests that melatonin may also play a role. Quality sleep keeps these hormones in balance so there is less stress on your tresses. On the flip side, sleep apnea has been linked to male pattern baldness and thinning hair, so it is important to address this condition for many reasons.

• Boosts immune system. Sleep sharpens your defenses. Research has shown that when we sleep more than seven hours a night, our immune system gets stronger by producing the ingredients T cells need to identify, target, and fight off infection. An impaired immune system leaves you vulnerable to a wide variety of disease and infections.

• Reduced risk for cancer. Mounting research is beginning to associate increased cancer risk with night shift work, as night shift workers tend to experience sleep imbalances. Other evidence points to increased cancer risk among those with conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea. “Genes experience crucial repair while we sleep, and we know that sleeping poorly corelates with DNA damage,” says Singh. “Even though the mechanisms may not be fully understood, respecting your sleep is one thing you can do to lower your risk of cancer.”