Sleep is for the Weak? WRONGO!
Sleep is an interesting thing. We are awake all day, working and completing important tasks and then suddenly, our eyes begin to drift. Why is this? We start to drift off when our mind is letting us and our body know that it needs rest. According to John Hopkins sleep expert and neurologist, Mark Wu, M.D., Ph.D, before the 1950s people believed that sleeping was a passing activity of which the brain and body were inactive. Now, scientists have discovered that during sleep, the brain is engaged in numerous activities that are critical to one’s physical health, mental health, and overall quality of life.
Why sleep is vital for our overall health:
Think about it, all animals sleep. Horses, bears, owls, dogs, cats, and humans, to name a few, all need to sleep. Your sleep is important for the body‘s ability to rejuvenate and save its energy. While we are sleeping the body repairs cells healing from injury or illness. Sleep is especially important for our brains. Some research suggests that while we sleep the brain flushes out waste products in the cells that build up while we are awake. Practically helping us wake up with a clean mental slate to the day. If you are in a sleep deficit, you will notice how it is more difficult for you to accomplish your duties throughout the day. It also becomes harder to mentally process, learn, and remember things in the future. Sleep affects the rest of the body as well. Being in a sleep deficit can cause an increase of symptoms of depression, high blood pressure, worsen migraines, compromise your immunity, and increase the likelihood of illness.
How do we Know How to Sleep?
According to Wu, there are two dominant activities that synchronize sleep: circadian rhythms and sleep drive. In the deep center of your brain is the pineal gland and its main ability is to respond to light cues from the environment you’re in. This is your circadian rhythm that is a part of a biological clock located in the brain. It releases melatonin, the chemical that helps you relax and fall asleep, and is ramped up and triggered by darkness while being switched off by exposure to light. This is why it is important to stay off your phone and turn the television off well before you want to go to bed. Your brain will only release melatonin in darkness!
Now, just how we crave food throughout the day, our bodies also crave sleep. This is our sleep drive. Though the main difference is that when you are hungry, your body cannot force itself to eat, you must physically make yourself do so. But at a certain point throughout your day, you will fall asleep even if you are behind the wheel of a car or in the middle of the workday at the office. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Children ages 6-12 years old should receive 9-12 hours of sleep per day, teens ages 13-17 years old should receive 8-10 hours, and adults 18+ should sleep 7-9 hours a day.
Are you getting enough sleep? Make it a priority and see how much better you feel.
Sources: PBS Learning Media, John Hopkins Medicine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention