Sleep
Sleep is a basic need in everybody’s life, but most people are not aware of how important it is, and many of us try to get by with as little sleep as possible. Sleep is not an option, it rather is something our bodies need to do. The exact reasons for sleep are still a mystery but we do know that while we sleep, most of the body’s major regulatory and organ systems continue to work actively. Some parts of our brain actually increase their activity impressively and more of certain hormones are produced.
Sleep seems to be as important as water and food for our body and mind to function normally, in fact, it seems to be essential for survival. Studies showed that rats that were deprived of sleep died within two to three weeks, which is a time frame similar to death caused by starvation. There seems to be an inner biological clock that regulates the timing for sleep.
How Much Sleep Do We Need?
How much sleep each person needs varies a lot, although the differences are not that big. Studies have shown that the sleep capacity for healthy young males is about eight hours and 45 minutes. The sleep capacity refers to how long you sleep if you go to sleep and get up whenever you want. That amount varied less than 30 minutes between the tested men.
According to the Sleep Health Centers in Boston, Massachusetts, most people need seven to eight hours of sleep a night. It seems that those people who claim that they need only four hours of sleep are either consciously or unconsciously depriving themselves.
Serious Consequences of Sleepiness
Chronic lack of sleep is a big problem in the United States that affects almost half of all Americans. Those who get less sleep, even one hour less than they need, develop a sleep debt which can lead to problem sleepiness when it gets too big. Problem sleepiness is the sleepiness that occurs during daytime when one should be awake and alert. It can interfere with the daily activities and reduce the ability to function. The sleep debt can have a strong negative effect on the daytime performance, even for those who do not feel sleepy.
Lack of sleep can have serious consequences. It may lead to fatal mistakes and can be responsible for road and workplace accidents. Sleep deprivation can also be expensive. The National Commission on Sleep Disorders estimated that lack of sleep costs $150 billion a year due to higher stress and reduced workplace productivity.
Lack of Sleep Affects Health
Researcheres are finding more and more evidence that sleep deprivation can seriously affect our health. Lack of sleep may be responsible for weight gain, diabetes, mental depression, and a decrease in the immune system’s ability to fight off diseases. Studies led by the University of Chicago have shown that people who were allowed only four hours of sleep a night, showed an 18 percent decrease in leptin and 28 percent increase in ghrelin after only two nights. Leptine is a hormone that suppresses appetite, and ghrelin is a hormone that triggers hunger. Studies conducted in England and the US found that people who slept less than seven hours a night were more than 70 percent likely to be obese.
Chronic sleep deprivation can further cause changes in metabolism and thus have an effect on how our body handles insulin. Insulin resistance again puts us at risk for diabetes and weight gain.
Further studies have found that chronic sleep deprivation may play a role in mental depression. People with lack of sleep have lower positive moods and their mood isn’t stable over the 24-hour cycle. They also have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol. These symptoms are typical for clinical depression.
Sleep Is Essential
Sleep is essential for our body and mind to function normally. Sleep deprivation may cause serious harm to our health and may lead to fatal mistakes and thus be responsible for accidents. In our modern, hectic time, the consequences of sleep deprivation are getting to be a serious problem.