Importance of Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important things our body needs just like eating healthy food and exercising daily. When we sleep, the brain recharges itself and heals our bodies, if you have a bruise, you will notice that it has healed a little bit when you go to sleep and wake up in the morning

Nowadays, many of us do not get enough sleep at night, owing to so many terrible habits. Many have turned into night owls who love to do so many things at night instead of the daytime. For example, using a phone or watching TV late at night.

We must learn to get rid of them by paying attention to the importance of sleep. According to doctors, an average human should get at least seven to eight hours of sleep every day.

Consequences of Lack of Sleep and Coexisting Conditions: Quality, Timing and Hours of sleep

Sleep disorders (or sleep-wake disorders) involve problems with the quality, timing, and amount of sleep, which result in daytime distress and impairment in functioning. Sleep-wake disorders often occur along with medical conditions or other mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, or cognitive disorders. There are several different types of sleep-wake disorders, of which insomnia is the most common.

Sleep difficulties are linked to both physical and emotional problems. Sleep problems can either contribute to or exacerbate mental health conditions and can be a symptom of other mental health conditions.

 About one-third of adults report symptoms of insomnia and 6-10 percent meet the criteria for insomnia disorder.

Importance of Sleep:

Sleep is a basic human need and is critical to both physical and mental health. There are two types of sleep that generally occur in a pattern of three-to-five cycles per night:

Rapid eye movement (REM) – when most dreaming occurs

Non-REM – has three phases, including the deepest sleep

When we sleep is also important. Our body typically works on a 24-hour cycle (circadian rhythm) that helps us know when to sleep.

How much sleep we need varies depending on age and varies from person to person. According to the National Sleep Foundation most adults need about seven to nine hours of restful sleep each night. The Foundation revised its sleep recommendations in 2015 based on a rigorous review of the scientific literature.

Sleep helps our brain function properly. Not getting enough sleep or poor quality sleep has many potential consequences. The most obvious concerns are fatigue and decreased energy, irritability and problems focusing. The ability to make decisions and our mood can also be affected. Sleep problems often coexist with symptoms of depression or anxiety. Sleep problems can exacerbate depression or anxiety, and depression or anxiety can lead to sleep problems.

Lack of sleep and too much sleep are linked to many chronic health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes. Sleep disturbances can also be a warning sign for medical and neurological problems, such as congestive heart failure, osteoarthritis and Parkinson’s disease.

Thus it is very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle that includes healthy sleeping patterns.  

This World Sleep Day we wish you happy sleeping!