Importance of Sleep one of necessary behavior for human survival is sleep behavior. Sleep is a innate basic necessity like other phenomenon such as: feeling of hunger reminds of the basic human need to eat, a feeling of sleepiness reminds of our essential need to sleep (Mastin, 2013). The Oxford English Dictionary defines sleep as:
“A condition of body and mind which typically recurs for several hours every night, in which the nervous system is inactive, the eyes closed, the postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended” (Oxford University Press, 2012).
Importance of Sleep
Sleep is a vital physiological process for humans and other animals. As without proper sleep the potential to work effectively decreases and the person feel more tired and irritable. Which can make a person more vulnerable for mistakes, less creative and even in some severe cases it can cause death.
It is a way to revive our recharge our energy that is exhausted during daily activates at day time. Sleep allows our body to rest properly and regain the lost energy. During sleep most of our body function halted and that is one of the reasons that sleep is called “Half death”.
Sleep deprivation
Short sleep leaves a person drowsy and unable to concentrate the following day. It can also lead to an impaired memory and physical performance, this is due to the fact that “memory Consolidation” take place during sleep. Our short term memory is converted into long term memory during sleep.
In case of continued sleep deprivation, many psychological problems may arises such as hallucinations and mood swings may develop. According to experts ‘sleep gives neurons used while we are awake a chance to shut down and repair themselves.
Without sleep, neurons may become so depleted in energy or so polluted with byproducts of normal cellular activities that they begin to malfunction’(A.S.A., 2007). So in other word sleep gave brain a chance to form essential ‘neuronal connections’, which might otherwise deteriorate from lack of activity. Importance of Sleep
Sleep for health
According to research, growth hormones release during deep sleep in children and young adults. Many body metabolism and catabolism reaction are associated with sleep.
Since, proteins are the building blocks needed for cell growth. For repair of damage from factors like stress, deep sleep may truly be “beauty sleep.”
Activity in parts of the brain that control emotions, decision-making processes, and social interactions is drastically reduced during deep sleep, suggesting that this type of sleep may help people maintain optimal emotional and social functioning while they are awake.
Amount of sleep needed
The amount of sleep each person needs depends on many factors, including age, culture and environment.
- Infants generally require about 16 hours a day
- Teenagers need about 9 hours on average.
- For most adults, 7 to 8 hours a night appears to be the best amount of sleep.
- Although some people may need as few as 5 hours or as many as 10 hours of sleep each day.
- Women in the first 3 months of pregnancy often need several more hours of sleep than usual.
Usually with age the sleep time span tend to deceases which is a age related factor many elderly people suffer from insomnia.
But it is a normal phenomenon which can be improved with proper health care.
Sleep hygiene
- Dim light
- Quite atmosphere with no sound. Or if you have dfficuty fallinf sleep you can listen to a calmn music of delta waves to help make you relax and fall asleep
- Normal humid environment
- Proper sleeping bed
- Comfortable pillow
- You can read or do a boring task this will help you fall asleep quickly in my case i start reading my course book 😉
Hope you can all have a good night sleep today…!