Sleep is plays a very important role in the overall physiological and mental health of a person. It’s a known fact that humans like all animals need to sleep in order to sustain life. Many studies have been administered on why sleeping is as important as breathing.
Basically, the two states of sleep are rapid-eye movement or REM and the non-rapid eye movement or NREM. REM is the state where most of the recalled dreams happen. NREM is composed of three stages that start with getting drowsy and losing awareness of the environment up to the deep sleep where nightmares or sleep walking may occur.
An individual’s sleeping pattern is based on the circadian clock or his body clock which depends on the different environmental factors and hormone production. This determines the sleeping cycle of a person or whenever he feels sleepy. The feeling of drowsiness can be attributed to the hormone called melatonin which signals the body that it’s already time to sleep.
People’s sleep requirements differ greatly because it depends on several factors. But researchers suggest an average hours of sleep for different age groups. It is suggested for babies to sleep for at least 16 hours a day while children on preschool needs at least 10 hours while older children and teenagers are advised to sleep 9 hours during the night.
People who are not having sufficient amounts of sleep regularly are more prone to diseases as the body’s defense system is already weakened and because they are going against their body clock, they struggle to keep themselves awake so they turn to smoking, drinking stimulants like caffeine and eating more sweets. Couples with the so much stress may have hazardous health conditions. It has been found that adequate sleep is imperative for the body to do some kind of maintenance in its systems to prepare for the next day. The immune system is greatly affected by proper sleep as it enables sufficient restoration and production of cells.
There have been studies showing that sleep also affects how the brain functions. It is known that memory retention and organization of learned ideas are more effectively processed by the brain when no other neurological process is happening. Sleeping is also the body’s way to refresh itself and repair the tissues.
Prolonged lack of sleep may result to poor cognitive performance, weight gain, mood swings, decreased concentration, poor vision, fatigue and plenty of other diseases. Even just a day without sleep can cause the person to feel tired and energy-deprived instead of rejuvenated. What’s worse is you’ll feel sleepy throughout the day when you should be wide awake and doing productive work.
There are also preventive measures to ensure a good night’s sleep.
 Drinking coffee or alcoholic beverages should be avoided especially when it’s almost time to sleep.
 Thinking too much or anxiety can cause the mind to remain active instead of relaxing.
 Check your bed and environment so you will be comfortable and get continuous sleep.
Those who are experiencing sleeping disorders may find it difficult to get enough sleep at night. In cases like these, it would be better to get treatment at once so it won’t lead to more complications.