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Why Is Sleep So Important For Us?
What is sleep? Its definition says it’s “the regular period in every 24 hours when we are unconscious and unaware of our surroundings”. (rcpsych.ac.uk) Sleep is extremely important for our health. It restores our energy levels and is just necessary for survival. We need to be well rested in order to function well mentally and physically during the day. We wouldn’t be able to work productively, recover from illness or interact correctly with other people; in other words – function our best, if we were sleep deprived.
There are also other benefits: a growth hormone that repairs and regenerates tissue throughout the body works while we sleep. Also many of the body cells increase in production and reduce the breakdown of proteins during sleep. That helps the body to repair damage from things like stress or ultraviolet rays. Also bones and muscles build up during sleep. Our body fights infections during sleep. What’s extremely important for children, is that their immune system grows and strengthens while they sleep.
It is not possible to determine exactly the amount of sleep every person needs as it varies from person to person. In general, babies need more sleep. They tend to sleep for 16 hours a day. Teenagers need about 9 hours of sleep, whereas adults only 7 to 9 hours. But as everyone is different, there are babies who sleep for only 11 hours a night and adults who need as much as 10 hours of sleep to feel well rested.
The amount of sleep we need also depends on what we do in life. Less active people might require less sleep.
Sleep should be uninterrupted. It’s quite easy to know if we get enough sleep: if you feel well rested, refreshed and full of energy in the morning, you probably slept well. If you feel sleepy during the day, on the other hand, you might not have slept enough last night.
Sleep stages vary from light to deep sleep. Sleep is divided into REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and non-REM sleep. REM sleep happens many times during the night. Our brain is very active, also when we sleep. That is why our eyes move quickly from side to side when we dream. Only our muscles are relaxed. That is when most dreaming takes place. Non-REM sleep is divided into four stages:
- Drowsiness - Stage 1 and REM
- Sleep - Stage 2
- Deeper Sleep – Stage 3
- Deep Sleep – Stage 4
During the non-REM stage our brain is quiet but the body may move around. Hormones are released and this is the stage when our body repairs itself.
During the night people tend to change the stages of sleep many times. An average adult will spend 5% in Stage 1, 50% in Stage2, 28% in Stage 3 & 4 and 25% in REM sleep.
As we get older, not only the amount but also the sort of sleep changes. Older people not only tend to sleep less, but also they wake up several times during the night. Their sleep is also disturbed more easily.
During a night people normally wake up every two hours or so for 1 or 2 minutes. We are not usually aware of those wakes but they happen especially when our sleep is disturbed by some external noises we might remember later.
Why is it so important to get enough good quality sleep? During the day we have to be able to think clearly, react quickly, learn new things, solve problems, create memories… There are so many things we do every day. It is not possible to do them correctly if we are tired after a sleepless night or if the amount of sleep was not enough.
If we don’t sleep enough, it might affect our moods. We could get irritable, make problems in relationships. Chronically, lack of sleep might lead to depression.
Also our health depends on sleep. Researches show that people who don’t get enough or get poor quality sleep are more likely to have high blood pressure, heart disease or other medical problems. Another interesting thing is that the less people sleep, the more likely they are to be overweight or obese.
Sleep is extremely important to all of us. One odd night out won’t do any harm but we should try to get as much sleep as our body needs in order to function correctly and optimally the next day. If, for some reason, our sleep is disturbed, we should try to find a reason for that. You may want to read our other articles on tips for sleeping well, and how waterbeds can help with sleep.
About The Author: The British Waterbed Association aims to support both their members and the buying public to ensure waterbeds are promoted in a manner that accurately reflects the significant benefits that a well-made waterbed provides. You can find more information, and a list of BWA members, on their website: http://www.waterbed.org