Despite the fact that the CDC recommends most adults get about 7 hours of sleep each night, most people don’t get enough shut-eye. Work, school, socializing and technology are common sleep thieves, consistently robbing us of a plethora of positive effects. 

The next time you’re tempting to put your pillow second-place to that last Netflix episode, consider these 3 benefits of a good night’s sleep:

Better Learning

Practice makes better…but sleep might actually make it perfect. Taking on a new hobby like the piano or Polish lessons? Adequate sleep can actually help you master a new skill in a way you couldn’t otherwise. A good night’s sleep allows you to better focus and understand material when you’re awake, and the various sleep stages may help the brain consolidate and organize new information at night so you can better process and remember what you’ve learned. 

Better Health

Getting the right amount of sleep is like winning the lottery for better health. First, it can help ward off inflammation, which is linked to arthritis, diabetes, stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure, and kidney disease among others. It can also help ward off depression, improve your mood, and boost your immune system. Want to lose a little weight? A good shut-eye helps maintain the proper balance of hormones that prevent obesity—and it may even help you lose a larger percentage of fat than muscle. Cha-ching!

Better Safety.

Here’s a sobering fact: The explosion of the Challenger space shuttle, the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, and the Exxon Valdez oil spill have all been attributed in part to sleep deprivation. Yikes. Getting the right amount of sleep means your brain focuses better, you have quicker reaction times, and you make better decisions, all of which can prevent disaster. A good night’s sleep also means you keep your family safe if you’re in the driver’s seat—not getting enough rest can affect your body the same way too much alcohol does. For reference: it’s illegal to drive if your blood alcohol content is .08 or higher; skipping a night of sleep affects you the same as if you were at .10.

Still completing one more chapter of your book or scroll through social media? Consider this: A good night’s sleep can dramatically spice things up between the sheets. ? The next time you’re tempted to forfeit a few winks, consider all the ways your body will thank you for those extra zzzs.