In today’s nonstop moving world, sleep has become more of an annoying nuisance and less important as there are more and more things to get done, with just not enough time.
Even though we know sleep is important, it is crucial to know why it is.
Sleep is something that comes with being human and must be dealt with. The circadian rhythm, a kind of body clock, is controlled by the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which is located in the hypothalamus near the center of your brain. The rhythm cycles on a 24-hour period and knows when it is the best time for you to sleep or be awake and get work done. It is common to feel cranky and grumpy – or worse – when people do not get enough sleep. It is also common to be less focused and it becomes harder to concentrate. This actually makes people lose even more time with work and assignments that need to be done because it takes longer to process and complete things.
Lack of sleep also impairs muscle performance and creativity.
Because of this, most people who did not get a good night’s rest turn to caffeine to help wake up and demand the brain focus on the day’s upcoming tasks.
However, sleep does more than just help us focus and be active. It helps memory consolidation, boosts creativity, helps drive off depression, mood swings and hallucinations.
Sleep helps restore brain tissue, which helps rebuild fading memories. The brain also goes through the day’s events, helping us process our emotions and become more emotionally stable, which in turn helps keep depression away.
Furthermore, it should be a no-brainer that someone who has gotten a good, full night’s worth of sleep, which should be about eight or nine hours will feel calmer and less irritable.
Sleep is also very important for those trying to get in shape or lose weight.
When deprived of sleep, the body increases the release of hormones that stimulate hunger and fat production and decreases the hormones that suppress hunger.
This might be why people who are deprived of sleep may feel hungry all the time.
Sleep deprivation compromises the immune system, leaving people more susceptible to colds and such, especially right now with everyone getting sick.
Sometimes it seems out of the question to even attempt to get more sleep, but it is important to try to get at least eight hours a night.
Try food and drink right before bed, lowering the lights and taking some time off from electronics and putting away distracting electronics and reading for a little bit before bed, whether it be an interesting story from a textbook or something else enjoyable to read.