“To be human is to be beautifully flawed.”

One of those flaws off the top of our heads? Needing sleep, especially in this productivity-obsessed world. And, worse, when contrasted with tireless, always-on AI that’s increasingly able to do what humans can— e.g., identify cancer nodules on CT scans, write a short story, and create travel itineraries — quicker.

OK, but what’s the beautiful bit of this flaw?

The short answer is it makes us the best possible versions of ourselves. For the long answer (and a quick, reassuring note on AI), continue reading; here’s why it is important to get enough sleep each night.

#1: Boosts brain health

When you sleep, nothing gets done on your to-do list. But things are different for your brain.

During sleep, it actively cycles through rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM (NREM) sleep, which can be broken down further into 4 distinct phases:

1. NREM Stage N1 (Falling asleep). The lightest stage of sleep you’re likely in when you nod off during a company town hall meeting. Your consciousness is decreased, but you’d likely jolt awake when you hear the CEO mention your name.

1. NREM Stage N2 (Light sleep). The stage before you enter deep sleep. Slightly harder to awaken from.

1. NREM Stage N3 (Slow wave sleep). The deepest, most restful, and restorative stage of sleep. Hardest to awaken from.

1. REM Stage R. This is when you dream.

There are important chemical and electrical processes that happen in the brain during all the stages of sleep; here’s why it is important to get enough sleep each night:

• Promotes learning and memory: Your brain’s trillions of nerve cells rewire themselves during deep, slow-wave sleep — making new connections and breaking old, no-longer-useful ones. This helps you process and retain new information you’ve learned in the daytime.

• Keeps attention and focus laser-sharp: Sleep regulates synaptic plasticity in the brain. Synaptic plasticity refers to the ability of brain cells to strengthen or weaken their connections, and it’s key for attention as the brain will need to focus on a single task (e.g., that email you’re crafting) while suppressing competing stimuli (e.g., the siren call of your TikTok feed).

• Regulates mood: Sleep helps the brain put emotional experiences into context so it can produce controlled, appropriate responses. Given that, it’s no wonder research has consistently linked sleep deprivation with negative mood states (stress, anger, sadness, and mental exhaustion).

#2: Supports healthy skin function and aging

The term “beauty sleep” came about for a reason.

Sleep is when your skin switches into recovery mode. A period of intense repair and regeneration that’s necessary for your skin to heal from its exposure to countless environmental aggressors (from UV rays to blue light to air pollution) throughout the day.

This explains why research has shown sleep deprivation to compromise skin barrier health, exacerbating:

• Dryness (since the skin can’t “hold on” to moisture quite as well)

• Irritability (DNA repair is less active, so the skin is more susceptible to damage)

• Signs of intrinsic aging, including fine lines, uneven pigmentation, and reduced elasticity

All of which translates to a dull, tired, and, well … sad-looking complexion — and we’re not just being mean, by the way. A 2013 study published in Sleep found that sleep-deprived people (after 5 hours of sleep) looked sadder than they did after a good night’s sleep.

Bottom line? Here’s why it is important to get enough sleep each night: it reverses the day’s damage, so you wake to beautifully soft, hydrated, and luminous-looking skin.

#3: Enhances natural immune defense

During sleep, your body replenishes its immune cells — essentially, the immune system’s “foot soldiers” responsible for identifying potential threats and coordinating an appropriate response when needed.

Meaning? The less sleep you get, the more likely you are to fall sick.

And there are tons of studies in agreement. For instance, this 2010 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that sleep-deprived people are more likely to catch the common cold virus.

If you’re thinking, “Eh, the common cold is generally harmless. It’s alright. I’ll deal,” we have news.

Beyond giving you a stuffy nose and an obnoxious cough, sleep deprivation may also contribute to more serious diseases, such as:

• Autoimmune diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis)
• Chronic health conditions (e.g., heart disease and diabetes)
• Neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s)
• Many different cancers
• Mental health conditions (remember Christian Bale in ‘The Machinist’?)

How much sleep should you get?

To recap, here’s why it is important to get enough sleep each night: it promotes optimal cognitive, skin, and overall physical health.

It’ll help you look, feel, and perform at your best — so you’re best positioned to do what AI can’t: reason, use logic, discern the truth, and produce truly creative work. AI is far from replacing humans, much less overtaking us (sorry, Arnold!)

Right. So, how much sleep should you get then? Experts recommend anywhere between 7 to 9 hours nightly.

But what if you’ve tried all the classic sleep tricks, like:

• Sleeping in a completely dark, temperature-controlled room
• Stashing every blue-light-emitting device away before bedtime
• Cutting yourself off caffeine at 1 pm

… and sleep still evades you?

Consider The Collagen Co’s COLLAGEN DREAM.

It contains a potent blend of sleep-regulating ingredients, from magnesium and zinc to L-theanine and L-tryptophan, chamomile, passionflower, and valerian root.

And to further bolster sleep’s benefits is 5 grams of hydrolyzed collagen peptides per serving. Experience an inside-out rejuvenation that’ll have you awakening to dewy, plump, and calm skin.

Oh, and did we mention the irresistible hot chocolate flavor? We’re almost certain it’ll become the part of your evening wind-down routine you most look forward to before drifting off.

This way to your best. sleep. ever.