Why We Sleep
Why we sleep is still somewhat of a mystery. What doctors and scientist
have discovered is what our bodies are capable and incapable of doing with
and without sleep.
We are all aware of the way we feel after a
good, uninterrupted night of sleep. We also
know that we feel exhausted if we lie in bed
awake, or are awakened several times during
the night. If you understand why we sleep, it
might help you find the time and methods
that get you a good night's rest.
In order to maintain good health, you need
to eat, exercise, and sleep well. As long as a
balance is maintained, you will have more energy, be alert, function to your
best ability, and have a happy outlook on life. My eBook discusses in detail
what exactly happens to your body when you go to sleep and how you can't
live without it.
"work 8 hours, sleep 8 hours, and have 8 hours of fun"
While you are snoozing, you are nurturing body and brain development.
With the proper amount of rest, your muscles, bones and skin can both
grow and repair themselves. You will be able to fight off illness more easily,
concentrate and absorb new concepts efficiently, and remember what you
have just learned.
Most of us find it easier to go to bed after dark. Have you ever asked
yourself why we sleep better at night? There is a good reason. Your brain
produces and releases melatonin at night. This is a chemical that makes
you drowsy, and that is why it is better to sleep in a bedroom that has no
lights or television on.
Conversely, as the room brightens in the morning, the supply of melatonin
cuts off and you wake up. That's why our parents pulled back the curtains
or opened the blinds to get us up for school when we were children! And
that is why so many of us feel like we could sleep all day when it's cloudy.
There are five stages in a normal sleep cycle; each lasting about ninety
minutes. In stages 1 and 2 you fall into a light sleep, and are easily
awakened. In stages 3 and 4 you fall into a deeper and more restful sleep,
with slower, more even breathing. Stages 3 and 4 can be likened to refilling
your gas tank, or refueling your body by replacing spent calories. Stage 5 is
when your brain gets active and dreams occur.
Related Articles
The Energy Conservation Theory explains the need
for complete rest as a time to reduce energy Circadian Rhythms
expenditure, and suggests that night is the most 5 Sleep Stages
appropriate time to do so, since it is the most What is Insomnia?
difficult time to procure food (obviously referring What is Sleep Apnea?
to farming, hunting, and scavenging). What is Narcolepsy?
It explains why we sleep; it has been proven that your metabolism goes
down as much as ten per cent while at rest; reducing both your body
temperature and the amount of calories needed, and giving your body the
required time to restore what has been used up while you were awake.
When a person becomes sleep deprived, their bodies can not rest and
restore its energy. People (and animals) will begin to eat more to supply
their bodies with energy. Your body will start to experience microsleeps. A
microsleep in essentially a mini blackout where the brain shuts down
automatically for 1 to 30 seconds no matter what the person is doing. The
person experiencing them usually does not know they are happening. This
becomes very dangerous for people in high risk jobs, and especially drivers.
When acute sleep deprivation becomes chronic, a person will experience
memory problems, confusion, body and muscle aches, dry eyes and skin,
loss of motor skills, depression, hand tremors, hallucination and if not
treated, eventually death.
Not being able to get to sleep at night can be a
horrible experience - at night as well as
throughout the following day. But it doesn't
have to be that way - sometimes all it takes is a
few lifestyle adjustments. Learn what you need
to know to instantly fall asleep each night in the
sleep ebook,
Get to Sleep Now! 39 Ways to Guarantee Your ZZZs.