Sleep

Sleep and How It Works

In our busy lives it is important to maintain sleep as a necessary part of our daily schedule. Sleep is a very important asset to keep healthy and there are many questions to be answered about how sleep works and what we can do to get enough sleep.

What happens to our bodies while we sleep?

            You might think that your brain and body take a well needed break while you are sleeping but that is not the truth. There’s a lot that goes on inside of us while we’re in slumber. Three main things are; digestive juices, hormone production, and kidney performance.

The amount of acid in our stomachs typically decreases, but if we were to have an ulcer then it increases. Also there are two female reproductive hormones (follicle stimulating and luteinzing) are released during sleep. Additionally, growth hormones are released in children and young adults when they sleep. Finally, the rate at which our kidneys filter waste slows while we’re asleep. This reduction in renal production is why that first morning urine is so concentrated.

Another thing is that our breathing, heart rate, and muscle movements change according to whether we are in NREM (non-rapid eye movement) or REM (rapid eye movement) stage sleep. During certain stages of NREM sleep, many of our bodily functions slow down compared to normal waking levels, including brain activity, heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and body temperature. Our muscles are relaxed and, for the most part, blood flow to the brain doesn’t change and sexual arousal doesn’t occur.        

What are the causes of lack of sleep?

Sleep deprivation, as well as just a mild case of sleeplessness can be caused by nearly anything. These things can be; poor diets, depression, stress, withdrawal from drugs, frequent work shift changes, noises, uncomforting room temperatures, anxiety, and many other factors. The unfortunate thing about the causes of lack of sleep is that there are too many to nail down effectively. This could mean that even if we were to figure out the cause of our lack of sleep, it might only be one single factor of the condition.

What are the health concerns that result from a lack of sleep?

            There are many health concerns that are related to not getting enough sleep. Droopy eyelids and a low amount of energy are two of those concerns but they are the least of our worries if we’re not getting the optimal amount of sleep that our bodies need.

            If we are to get fewer than seven hours we are more likely to catch a cold, possibly because sleep helps control the body’s response to fight infections. Weight gain can also be a worry. We produce more of the hunger-promoting hormone ghrelin and less of the satiety- producing hormone leptin when we’re low on sleep.

            Getting fewer than six hours of sleep may be alright for a day or two but if we are to sleep for less than six hours for a period of two weeks or more will impair our memory, reaction time and general condition in the same way that staying awake for up to 48 hours straight would.

  What are the health benefits of sleep?

            Getting the right amount of sleep is very important and can bring many health benefits along with it. It can improve our memory, it can help us live longer, it can help stop or slow inflammation, it helps our creativity, it can even improve grades in school, getting the right amount of sleep can also sharpen our attention, it can keep us fit and at a healthy weight, stress can also be reduced by getting enough sleep, it can also help you avoid being depressed. Many more benefits come along with it as well.

How much sleep do we really need?

There are many different opinions on how much sleep is an  ideal amount, but for the most part experts are saying that between 6-8 hours is what our bodies really need. “Studies show that people who sleep between 6.5 hours and 7.5 hours a night, as they report, live the longest, and people who sleep 8 hours or more, or less than 6.5 hours, they don’t live quite as long.” says an article in time magazine.

            Even though it might be hard to believe, there is just as much risk in getting too much sleep as there is in getting too little sleep. Actually, getting more than the recommended amount could even be more dangerous sometimes than getting less than that amount.

What are some specific sleep disorders that have impacts on people?

            There are many sleep disorders in the world that affect people all around the globe. Some life threatening and some just annoying to have to deal with.

            Insomnia is the most common sleep complaint today. It is the feeling that you have not slept well or long enough. It comes in many different forms but is most often seen as having trouble getting to sleep, waking frequently during the night, or waking up too early and not being able to get back to sleep.

            Other problems that are seen are anxiety, depression, and sleep apnea. These problems are not caused by sleep but actually bring about the lack of sleep. They are not normally brought on just because we have not slept enough a couple times but if we are experiencing symptoms of insomnia it might be because of either of these other problems. Not getting enough sleep throughout our lives can also bring many other troubles down the road as we get older that can be harmful and life threatening.

            In conclusion, sleep is a really important aspect to our lives but is also one of the most sacrificed things in our lives as well. We should not be sacrificing sleep to do other things that we think are more important because really those things are not more important. If we do not get the right amount of sleep it can be very unhealthy and dangerous to our bodies. So it is very important to maintain good sleep habits.