|
Sleep is one of few wonderful periods of our life – good sleep makes you fit and cheerful after you wake up from sleep. There are only few things needed for body survival - good food and good sleep are very important elements for our healthy survival.
Every day sleep plays dramatic vital role in our healthy status and well-being throughout whole our life. Healthy sleep includes quality and quantity of our sleep at correct time of the day. Healthy sleep can protect our mental health, physical health, emotional status, quality of life and safety.
Whole our active day time life depends on how we spend the night – how long we slept, how deep we slept and how relaxed we have been during our night sleep. During good sleep most of the organs and cells of the body are working in slow, respiration, heart and nervous system. During healthy good sleep usually the body temperature reduces by 0.5 to 1.0º F and blood pressure decreases by 20mm.
Good sleep body needs could be different depending on our age and health status.
|
|
| Period of life |
Duration of needed good sleep |
| Newborn period (up to 1 year) |
About 16–18 hours a day |
| Preschool life period |
Minimum 10 hours a day |
| School period (primary schools) |
About 11–12 hours a day
|
| Teenage period |
Minimum 9–10 hours a day |
| Adult and elderly periods |
About 7–8 hours a day |
If you did not have a chance to sleep enough, better compensate your good sleep depts. During following days because sleep deficit is usually cumulating and you could have health problems later.
It is well known that good sleep is very important but not many women know why good sleep is important. Generally speaking good sleep is important for healthy brain function and maintenance of our physical health. At the same time good sleep also important for growing and developing ion children and teens. Good sleep has huge influence at your thinking, reactions, quality of work, study abilities, stress resistance, secure driving, etc.
Good sleep and Brain Function
Good sleep is restorative for our brain. Good sleep helps our brain work properly – brain is restoring cells and links, forming new pathways, refreshing memories, supporting creative thinking, enhancing memory and learning capacity, controlling emotions and behavior, helping be organized, strengthening brain processing as well as improving problem-solving functions. Lack of good sleep could trigger several health problems including stress, depression, emotional and suicidal crisis. Good sleep deficit makes us mentally groggy and fuzzy – we could be even aggressive.
Good sleep improves connection-making by clearing away mental clutter, and bolsters memory (both mental and muscle memory) through a process called consolidation.
Lack of good sleep increases the risk of so called ADHD (attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder).
Good sleep and Health
Good sleep is very important for physical health. During sleep body organs and body functions healing and repairing. It is vital to “maintain and repair” heart and blood vessels (which is happening during good sleep). Cumulated good sleep deficit could increase cholesterol levels, risk of heart diseases or trigger kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke.
Good sleep is also very important for normal healthy body metabolism. Lack of good sleep could cause overweight and obesity.
Good sleep is necessary for keeping normal hormonal balance of hormones responsible for hunger (ghrelin) and fullness (leptin). It was noted that lack of good sleep increases levels of ghrelin and decreases production of leptin and as a result you feel on-going hunger
Good sleep is also very important for insulin production – actually the lack of good sleep results in increased levels of blood sugar level (hyperglycemia), which may increase your risk for diabetes.
Good sleep is very important for children grow and development because during deep sleep body releases grow hormone which is also responsible for muscles development and cells’ repair.
Good sleep could be considered as better pain management because during sleep our body has increased chances for better recovery.
Our vision also depends on good sleep - proper sleep is necessary for good eye sight (vision). If you do not sleep properly at night then you will have defective vision.
Several studies demonstrated also the importance of good sleep for reproductive functions – impotency, fertility and infertility.
Good sleep and Immune System
Healthy immune system depends very much on good sleep - good sleep strengthens immune system and makes our body less prone to various illnesses.
You better tale care of your immune system because it defends your body against foreign or harmful substances. At the same time, immune system fights common infections and viruses.
Good sleep and Security
It is well known that having good sleep at the right time helps us function well throughout the day. Good sleep helps us to concentrate, think clearly and make decision pretty fast. Good sleep is important not only for every day driving but also for many professions with risk for life.
Several studies show that lack of good sleep harms driving abilities as much as being drunk – good sleep deficit increases risk of car accidents, with severity and fatality rates comparative to driving under the influence.
Lack of good sleep can also cause so called “microsleep” - brief moments of sleep that occur when you are actually awake. Microsleep could be very dangerous not only during driving but also during specific types of job or even during taking care of baby. You cannot control microsleep and even you might not be aware of it.
Good sleep is also very important for people responsible for health (surgeons, nurses, obstetricians, etc.), for pilots, taxi drivers, lawyers, some military professions, factory lines workers and some other people.
Good sleep and Beauty
You already experience good looking face after deep long good sleep. It is well known that good sleep keep you beautiful with happy relaxed fresh skin and shining eyes. Beauty sleep is not magic – it is all your skin “repairing” during good sleep. Lack of good sleep is considered as a stress for healthy skin. Good sleep deficit cause skin aging and chronic dehydration.
Good sleep deprived people are perceived as less healthy and less attractive.
|
