So how did you sleep last night?

Though sleep is a healthy living essential, often, when we get up in the morning, we barely remember whether we slept through, or kept waking up.

On other occasions the extent to which we slept well is clearly evident in how well we feel the next day, or we know full well that we had a bad night.

Perhaps you were feeling anxious about work matters or some other distraction, and that meant you kept coming round during the night.

Or maybe you drifted off quickly and didn’t stir until the alarm clock sounded the next day - the sort of sleep many of us crave! 

There are various benefits to having an adequate amount of sleep, as The Physiotherapy and Pilates Practice director and chartered physiotherapist Sammy Margo has recently pointed out.

People’s mood can be better, as can their weight control and memory, she said in an interview.

Having adequate sleep can have a positive impact on people’s complexion, too, according to the physiotherapist.

“It can also result in improved performance at home, work and in sports too,” she added.

She was asked for her thoughts on why it’s important that sports people have enough sleep.

"Whilst you sleep your body releases growth hormone also known as 'youth hormone' that stimulates tissue growth and muscle repair,” she said.

When people experience a lack of sleep, this can have an impact on the secretion of that hormone, she added.

“We also know that sleep deprivation is associated with muscle atrophy, obesity and reduced exercise capacity,” Ms Margo said.

If someone suffers from lack of sleep over a lengthy period, she added, it can result in illness or stress.

“However the reality of life is that many women report that they slept fine until they had a baby. Many of us at some stage in our lives have periods of insomnia be it motherhood, divorce, illness, stress," she said.