When not getting enough sleep one’s body loses out on the key things that sleep provides. Sleep is important in keeping both the mind and body healthy. While sleeping the brain allows time to “shape all memories and make the connections between events, feelings, and experiences” (Why is Sleep so Important). Sleep is necessary in order to form new learning and memory pathways in the brain. It can help boost overall memory and help the mind regain focus. The brain does most of its housekeeping while we sleep. One of those being waste disposal. This is a key factor that helps the brain run smoothly throughout the day. Waste products that are cleared away while we sleep mainly consist of misfolded proteins which are part of the aging process and often found in patients with Alzheimer’s (Dana). It is important that the brain gets rid of these proteins otherwise they remain in place creating a toxic amount over a period of time resulting in sleep deprivation.
Sleep deprivation is something many people face sometime throughout their lives. It causes people to become moody and irritable and decreases brain function. Sleep deprivation over a long period of time can “reduce the ability to perform cognitive tasks, such as executive decision making, categorizing, spatial memory, fluid verbal expression, creativity, planning tasks, detecting changes in the environment, etc.” (Bobic). These are all important tasks that individuals use every day. Getting the right amount of sleep is imperative to proper brain function. Without it, many will face diminished ability to perform simple tasks and will constantly find themselves responding to stimuli slowly. Most studies regarding sleep deprivation have only focused on the acute effects of sleep deprivation; however, it is thought that the chronic effects of sleep deprivation could lead to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
As stated previously proteins could build up and accumulate in the brain possibly leading to these diseases (Bobic). Amyloid-beta levels are found in parts of the brain when patients suffer Alzheimer’s. In a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, “they reported total amyloid beta levels increased by approximately 5 percent after one night of sleep deprivation, in the right hippocampus and thalamus” (Dana). This study shows the effect sleep deprivation could have on individuals that may have these amyloid-beta plaques in part of their brain. Most people simply use caffeine, nicotine, or physical activity to help overcome their sleepiness and while that could help cure an acute effect it will not cure a chronic effect of sleep deprivation.
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Sleep is just as important to the human body as food and water. Adequate sleep is necessary to prepare one’s self for the next day and help replenish the brain with nutrients. Studies show that when not getting enough sleep there is an increased risk for driving accidents due to being drowsy, occupational injuries due to not being alert, obesity due to an increase in appetite while sleep-deprived, psychiatric conditions such as depression and drug abuse and this all ultimately results in a poor quality of life (Why is Sleep so Important). When taking a look at society today many of these things are commonly found. While some of it may be caused by other factors sleep could easily be one of those factors. Getting an adequate amount of sleep can turn one’s life around and help keep both one’s body and brain healthy. Good sleep leads to a healthy brain function, improved body function, and decreases risks of accidents and injuries.
Every person who has a normal functioning brain, dreams. It’s uncontrollable yet almost everyone awaits it. But what exactly is it and how does it affect people’s daily lives? We go through multiple cycles of 5 stages which are divided into REM and non-REM sleep. During REM, bodies are fully resting and the “off” switch is hit. According to researcher and specialist Gemma Curtis of the Sleep Matters Club, says this is when the breathing becomes irregular, eyes begin to jerk in various directions, and limb muscles become temporarily paralyzed for the time being. When the body paralyzes itself like this, things like sleep paralysis can take place. Usually, this occurs either when a person is falling asleep or waking up.
It happens when he/she is passing between stages of being awake and asleep. People who experience this are fully awake but unable to move or speak, and most find it hard to breathe. Many people see figures or hear voices speaking to them during this occasion. A major kind of dreaming is called Lucid dreaming. It is one of the most bizarre and downright complicated types of dreaming. Lucid dreaming happens when the person is fully aware that the mind is in the dream state. Some lucid dreamers are able to influence the dream and change the whole aspect or direction that the mind was heading. This may be a good tactic to take especially for people who have frequent nightmares. Many dream experts say it’s better to let the dreams flow naturally.
Dreaming could also be a sort of therapy for some. Writer Matthew Walker of UC Berkeley believes that when everyone dreams, it’s essentially the brain healing itself from anything that happens throughout the day. Key emotional and memory-related structures of the brain are reactivated during REM sleep as we dream. The emotional memory reactivation is allowing the body to reprocess upsetting or uplifting memories in a calmer and safer way. The brain will cogitate acquired knowledge and then extract rules and common normalities which then creates a mindset that can help us divine solutions to previously psychological problems.
We often forget how important sleep is to our overall health and well-being. We spend one-third of our lives sleeping. We try to get those eight hours of sleep but do we? Most people don’t get the proper amount of sleep. They either sleep too little and use stimulants like coffee and energy drinks to keep them awake throughout the day. Some people can oversleep. This means people who oversleep can have underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, anxiety. And low iron. It’s critical for us to get the proper balance of sleep. According to Sleep Foundation.org, a toddler should get 11-14 hours of sleep, school-age children should get 9-11 hours of sleep. teenagers 8-10 hours, adults 7-9, older adults 7-8. The big question that billions of people ask is how do we make sleep a priority in such a busy world?
You cannot expect to change your daily routine for two days and expect to be getting the proper amount of sleep every day. You need to be consistent. The Sleep Foundation recommends sticking to a sleep schedule, even on weekends, practice a relaxing bedtime ritual (this can be praying, reading a book, listening to some calming music), exercise daily, evaluate your sleeping room like the lights, temperature, and sound, make sure you are on a comfortable mattress, beware of sleep stealers like alcohol and caffeine, and most importantly turn off electronics before bed. Doing these simple things can make you sleep come first and it will help you get the right amount of rest your body needs.
