Can"t Sleep? What"s the Purpose of Sleep and Why Do We Need It?
If you can't sleep you are not alone.
According to the National Institute of Health between 30 and 40 percent of adults admit to insomnia symptoms within a given year whilst around 10 to 15 percent say they have chronic insomnia which is insomnia lasting a month or more.
Modern life More and more we are devising ways through technology to very quickly deliver those things that entertain, excite and stimulate us.
In a world full of these stimuli we sometimes overlook the three essential ingredients that we sill need if we are to be able survive let alone enjoy this fast paced way of life.
It is acknowledged these days that two of those ingredients, good nutrition and regular exercise are important for us in taking advantage of the way we lead our lives even though the temptation to ignore them is obvious.
However the third ingredient that is often overlooked in our pursuit for instant gratification is sleep.
Sleep is of the utmost importance today more than ever for our general well-being and health, if we want to continue enjoying modern day living.
We spend a third of our lives asleep but research into the exact processes of sleep and what it does for us is relatively new.
It's an interesting thought that prior to the invention of the electric light bulb and the advent of artificial lighting the average American slept for ten hours on average.
Negative effects of poor quality sleep Without good quality sleep you are more likely to have mood swings, irritability, diabetes, reduced immunity, anxiety, depression and a more recently discovered a 75 percent higher chance of becoming obese.
The negative impact of sleep deprivation is a huge subject in itself.
If you have never suffered the extreme symptoms of sleep deprivation, you have no doubt woken up from a short, poor quality sleep feeling a bit dizzy, a bit sick, disorientated, moody and generally rubbish as opposed to waking up refreshed and ready for the day ahead that you feel after a good night's sleep.
OK! So sleep makes us feel good in the morning.
What else? Tests done at Harvard Medical School have shown that volunteers allowed to sleep after learning new information where able to recall them far better than those that after learnt the same information but went without sleep.
If you can't sleep you are less likely to be able to perform even simple tasks and articulate properly.
Immune system is our defence against illness and it tracks down and deals with damaged cells.
A healthy immune system needs vitamins, nutrients and most importantly sleep.
A lack of sleep suppresses your immune system making it less efficient in the fight against infection.
When you are ill the immune system releases chemicals that make you feel lethargic and sleepy.
Internal Clock We are all governed by an internal clock called the circadian rhythm, which is responsible for setting the pace for the day.
It does this by controlling the release of hormones at different times of the day and does it in conjunction with the strength or absence of light.
Light is the confusing factor when you travel through time zones.
If the circadian rhythm is working optimally you should feel perky first thing in the morning and then dip quite dramatically after lunch - so it's not the heavy lunch that is responsible - and then feel more alert in the evening.
How much sleep is enough? This is a very difficult question to answer as it differs from one person to another depending in particular on age.
It is widely thought that between 7 and 8 hours is generally the norm but if you are waking up full of the joys of whatever then you're probably getting enough.
There are famous examples of individuals who seemed to manage on little sleep like Bonaparte, John Kennedy and Churchill although at least Churchill was fond of an afternoon nap.
Another famous example of a "short sleeper" was Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb - well there's irony for you.
There was also Einstein who famously slept 10 hours a night.
Why can't you sleep? If you feel refreshed and eager to start the day, your mind is clear and you are emotional well balanced then you have had the right amount and the right sort of sleep.
If however you feel fuzzy in the mornings and you get irritable and feel anxious as well as suffering more frequently from colds and viruses, then you are probably sleep deprived.
There are a large number of possible reasons for this and it could be any one of the following.
There are sleeping techniques that can be used to combat stress and lifestyle pressures.
There are foods that you can use in your diet that actually help with sleepiness and there are foods and substances that you should be wary of.
There are ways of creating a sleep-inducing haven.
There are natural sleeping techniques and holistic therapies that can be used in conjunction with orthodox medicine if necessary.
According to the National Institute of Health between 30 and 40 percent of adults admit to insomnia symptoms within a given year whilst around 10 to 15 percent say they have chronic insomnia which is insomnia lasting a month or more.
Modern life More and more we are devising ways through technology to very quickly deliver those things that entertain, excite and stimulate us.
In a world full of these stimuli we sometimes overlook the three essential ingredients that we sill need if we are to be able survive let alone enjoy this fast paced way of life.
It is acknowledged these days that two of those ingredients, good nutrition and regular exercise are important for us in taking advantage of the way we lead our lives even though the temptation to ignore them is obvious.
However the third ingredient that is often overlooked in our pursuit for instant gratification is sleep.
Sleep is of the utmost importance today more than ever for our general well-being and health, if we want to continue enjoying modern day living.
We spend a third of our lives asleep but research into the exact processes of sleep and what it does for us is relatively new.
It's an interesting thought that prior to the invention of the electric light bulb and the advent of artificial lighting the average American slept for ten hours on average.
Negative effects of poor quality sleep Without good quality sleep you are more likely to have mood swings, irritability, diabetes, reduced immunity, anxiety, depression and a more recently discovered a 75 percent higher chance of becoming obese.
The negative impact of sleep deprivation is a huge subject in itself.
If you have never suffered the extreme symptoms of sleep deprivation, you have no doubt woken up from a short, poor quality sleep feeling a bit dizzy, a bit sick, disorientated, moody and generally rubbish as opposed to waking up refreshed and ready for the day ahead that you feel after a good night's sleep.
OK! So sleep makes us feel good in the morning.
What else? Tests done at Harvard Medical School have shown that volunteers allowed to sleep after learning new information where able to recall them far better than those that after learnt the same information but went without sleep.
If you can't sleep you are less likely to be able to perform even simple tasks and articulate properly.
Immune system is our defence against illness and it tracks down and deals with damaged cells.
A healthy immune system needs vitamins, nutrients and most importantly sleep.
A lack of sleep suppresses your immune system making it less efficient in the fight against infection.
When you are ill the immune system releases chemicals that make you feel lethargic and sleepy.
Internal Clock We are all governed by an internal clock called the circadian rhythm, which is responsible for setting the pace for the day.
It does this by controlling the release of hormones at different times of the day and does it in conjunction with the strength or absence of light.
Light is the confusing factor when you travel through time zones.
If the circadian rhythm is working optimally you should feel perky first thing in the morning and then dip quite dramatically after lunch - so it's not the heavy lunch that is responsible - and then feel more alert in the evening.
How much sleep is enough? This is a very difficult question to answer as it differs from one person to another depending in particular on age.
It is widely thought that between 7 and 8 hours is generally the norm but if you are waking up full of the joys of whatever then you're probably getting enough.
There are famous examples of individuals who seemed to manage on little sleep like Bonaparte, John Kennedy and Churchill although at least Churchill was fond of an afternoon nap.
Another famous example of a "short sleeper" was Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb - well there's irony for you.
There was also Einstein who famously slept 10 hours a night.
Why can't you sleep? If you feel refreshed and eager to start the day, your mind is clear and you are emotional well balanced then you have had the right amount and the right sort of sleep.
If however you feel fuzzy in the mornings and you get irritable and feel anxious as well as suffering more frequently from colds and viruses, then you are probably sleep deprived.
There are a large number of possible reasons for this and it could be any one of the following.
- Ageing
- Anxiety
- Bereavement
- Birth of a baby
- Depression
- Delayed sleep phase syndrome
- Illness
- Jet lag
- ME chronic fatigue syndrome
- Partying too much
- Snoring partner
- Stimulant overuse
- Sleep apnea
- Shift work
- Work pressure
There are sleeping techniques that can be used to combat stress and lifestyle pressures.
There are foods that you can use in your diet that actually help with sleepiness and there are foods and substances that you should be wary of.
There are ways of creating a sleep-inducing haven.
There are natural sleeping techniques and holistic therapies that can be used in conjunction with orthodox medicine if necessary.
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