SLEEP
Body's basic need
We spend about one-third of our time asleep. That’s about 16 hours a night as infants, 9 hours as teens and 7 to 8 hours as adults.
BENEFITS OF SLEEP
• Sleep plays a critical role in immune function, metabolism, memory, learning, and other vital functions.
• Sleep provides the foundation for all daily habits and decisions.
• Sleep allows time for the mind and the body to recover from day's work.
• Sleep enhances skin’s cells; the first few hours (deep-sleep mode) is the time when catabolysis (the natural purification of cells) is most active.
TYPES OF SLEEP
NREM sleep
Non-Rapid Eye Movements
Stage 1 (NREM1or N1)
This stage represents only 5% of the total sleep time.
Usually lasts 5 to 10 minutes, just enough to allow the body to slow down and muscles to relax.
Stage 2 (NREM2 or N2)
This stage constitutes 45%-50% of total sleep time for adults. Sleepers pass though this stage several times; body temperature drops and Brain activity, heart rate and breathing starts to slow down.
Stage 3 (NREM3 or N3)
Known as slow-wave sleep (SWS), during which the sleeper is unaware of any sounds or other stimuli.
Stage 3 represents around 15%-20% of total adult sleep time and occurs in longer periods during the first half of the night.
This is when the body does most of its repair work and regeneration.
REM sleep
Rapid Eye Movements
This is the stage of sleep when we dream, referred to as "active sleep".
During REM sleep, blood flow, breathing, and brain activity increases.
One enters REM sleep 90 minutes after going through all three stages of non-REM sleep.
The first REM cycle lasts 10 minutes, but each subsequent REM stage gets progressively longer as the night goes on.
REASONS FOR BAD SLEEP
• Nowadays, society has evolved in a hectic way, putting our lives under pressure and exposing us to 24hrs entertainment or work duties.
• Caffeine’s effects last for at least six hours. Excessive caffeine or drinking caffeine late in the day can cause problems, including trouble sleeping at night.
• Obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that interrupts breathing while you sleep.
• Mattress and pillow’s choice can strongly affect sleep quality.
CONSEQUENCES OF BAD SLEEP
Obesity
Diabetes
Irritability
Negative mood
High blood pressure
Body aches and pains
Bad performance at work.
Reduced immune function
WEIGHT AND SLEEP
Lack of sleep has an influence on what and how much you eat. Since hormones are regulated during sleep, when someone is sleep deprived, hunger hormones become out of whack, which increases feelings of hunger and decreases satiety.
IMPROVE QUALITY OF SLEEP
• Make sleep a priority.
• Set a sleep goal. Aim to get at least eight hours of sleep a night.
• Stick to a sleep schedule. Go to bed and get up at the same time.
• Eat healthier food. When the body and mind are fatigued, it’s common to mistake fatigue for hunger and end up by eating unhealthy food.
• Bedtime routine. Create a relaxing (screen-free) bedtime routine.
• Dogs’ company, According to Mayo Clinic study, sleeping with a dog in the same bedroom will improve sleep efficiency by 83%.
CHOICE OF MATTRESS
Memory foam mattresses molds to the body in response to heat and pressure, evenly distributing body weight. It then returns to its original shape once you remove the pressure.
Kathy R. Gromer, MD, sleep specialist with the Minnesota Sleep Institute in Minneapolis, agrees that memory foam may improve sleep as it relieves painful pressure points.
According to Arand, clinical director of the Kettering Sleep Disorders Center in Dayton, Ohio, memory foam mattress reduce motion transfer, letting you lie still while your partner tosses and turns.
Credit: Sleep Foundation, Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, WebMed.
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