Are You Getting Enough Sleep?
October 1st, 2006Although most people are now aware of the benefits of regular exercise and good nutrition, it seems many of us are still unaware of exactly how important it is to get enough sleep. Without adequate sleep, over time, our bodies will literally shut down. When we get enough sleep we maintain our body’s ability to function by repairing muscle tissue from exercise, replacing brain cells and other dead cells throughout our body.
Have you noticed on certain days when the night before you haven’t slept well or had your regular amount of sleep that you find it hard to stay focused or concentrate. Without getting enough sleep our brains capacity to stay alert is seriously diminished. Studies have shown when people are sleep deprived for longer and longer periods, it becomes difficult to answer the most simple of questions. Otherwise healthy people have been unable to remember who they are or even recognize members of their own close family. For periods of 72 hours or more some people have lost the ability to communicate altogether.
As we get older our bodies produce less and less human growth hormone HGH. It is HGH that helps keep our skin, hair and the cells in our body in good condition and people who often look a lot younger than their actual age, usually have higher levels of HGH in their body. It is when we are in a state of deep sleep that our bodies produce most of our HGH so if you are somebody who is not getting enough sleep, it is a good chance you will be aging faster than you should. It is during sleep that our bodies do most of our repair work. This is why after a good nights sleep we usually feel clear and refreshed in our body and mind soon after waking and therefore at our most tired at night or just before bed. You may have heard the term Rapid Eye Movement REM, it is during this phase of our sleeping cycle that researchers believe our bodies begin to restore our internal organs, tissues, bones, replace our hard working immune cells which help our bodies fight infection and disease.
A chemical known as adenosine which acts as a neurotransmitter that charges the biochemical actions inside our cells tells the brain it needs rest. Higher and lower levels of adenosine suggest the brain is resting during sleep. During sleep the concentration of adenosine in our brain diminishes and allows the brain to recharge. At the end of the day just before bed the level of adenosine is elevated and this indicates the brain is getting tired. Our brain sleeps in cycles, each cycle lasts about 90 minutes. Each complete cycle consists of 5 stages. We need 4 stages of non REM sleep and 1 stage of REM sleep at the end of each cycle. The first two stages are a lighter form of sleep, stages 3 and 4 are a deeper level of sleep and the final stage of REM sleep is when our body is at complete rest. The last three stages are the most important for recovery and at this time the brains activity is at its slowest point each day. We each need about 4-5 complete cycles of 5 stages every night to regain maximum alertness the next day.
Sometimes despite our best efforts it is hard to get a good night of sleep. Try not to stress too much about not getting enough sleep as it often makes things worse. The following is a list of things to do if you are not getting enough sleep.
· Exercise regularly each day as this uses up more energy and makes you more tired at the end of the day. Although, intense exercise in the evening raises your core body temperature which can stay elevated for 3-4 hours after you finish and this can make it more difficult to fall asleep.
· Make sure your bedroom is cool. If you live in a humid environment take measures to keep the temperature down. This will certainly help towards getting enough sleep.
· Avoid watching loud, adrenaline charged, or overly emotional programs on television just before bed.
· Don’t take sleeping pills on a regular basis as you might find it hard to get to sleep without them over time.
· Avoid stimulants as much as possible. The caffeine in coffee and other beverages tends to promote mental alertness. Drinking alcohol may help you fall asleep but disrupts your 5 stages of sleep leading to poor quality sleep.
· Try to stick to a regular sleeping pattern. Go to bed around the same time each night and allow 8-10 hours of sleeping time. As good as it feels to sleep in or oversleep when we get the chance, this can interrupt our sleeping pattern and can lead to difficulties getting to sleep. However if you know you have not been getting enough sleep it is ok to catch up or get extra sleep when your body needs it.
· Listen to your body and monitor how you feel each day, if you get tired in the afternoons it is a good indication you are not getting enough sleep at night. Make adjustment in your waking schedule to allow for enough sleep. You will be more productive and feel better if you do.
Athletes, children and people working in particularly stressful jobs especially need to pay attention to getting enough sleep. If you go without an adequate amount of good quality sleep, over time your body and mind is more susceptible to colds and flu and other forms of sickness as it is only when you sleep that your body gets the chance to fully recover from all the physical and mental stresses you place on it. So, with a good diet, regular exercise and an adequate amount of sleep you are giving yourself the best chance of a healthy and happy life.
If you find this site helpful, please leave a donation for John
Other Related Posts:-
December 5th, 2006 at 12:25 am
thanks for participating in my blog expo. This is a fascinating article. I am actually trying to cut the amount of time I spend sleeping, by increasing the quality of my sleep. It is tough, but I think some of your tips might help.
btw…how many hours do you sleep per night?
December 5th, 2006 at 12:28 am
[…] John Hill presents Are You Getting Enough Sleep? posted at Universe Of Success, saying, “Not getting enough sleep can have an avalanche effect in every area of your life.” […]
January 10th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
This is a fascinating post. Most of the people I see worry so much that they’re not getting enough sleep and we work on how to reduce their stress. At the end of the day I’m always saying, you’ll catch up, but you have to find ways to factor in that “catch up” time.
Thanks
June 16th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Brain Blogging, Eleventh Edition…
Welcome to the eleventh edition of Brain Blogging - a semi-monthly blog carnival that aims to review posts “related to the brain and mind that go beyond the basic sciences into a more human and multidimensional perspective.”
This carnival is a prou…