ADVISE ON EFFECTIVE
SLEEP FOR GOOD HEALTH
by Matt Daren
EFFECTIVE
SLEEP SOLUTIONS
Effective sleep solutions are available to anyone who suffers
from any type of sleep disorder. As part of our effective sleep
solutions this article will answer some of the questions that
you may have.
Are you aware that you will spend almost one third of your life
sleeping? During the time our body is awake the nerve cells constantly
active become more or less fatigued. This is why you may need
a nap some times during the day. Sleep gives the body cells a
chance to throwing out the waste and the opportunity to repair
themselves. To insure a recovery period from such fatigue, we
undergo the periodic loss of consciousness known as sleep. Sleep
is a very important function, and though we may put off going
to sleep, it will eventually take over.
Necessity and importance of Sleep
Sleep is a usual and necessary part of our survival and having
a good sleep solution plan is essential to brain function. As
each person rests, the body rejuvenates, so that it will be ready
to function properly the next day. What happens when you body
gets too much or too little sleep. The brain causes stress on
the body and you become easily irritated and grumpy. When you
sleep you are giving your body a mini-vacation. Sleep also gives
your brain a chance to sort things out. Although it is not known
what functions take place in the brain while you are sleeping,
it is believed that this is the time that the brain sorts and
store information, replace chemicals or corrects imbalances, and
solves problems in the body.
Sleep is a type of unconsciousness state, and is essential to
good health. It refreshes the body and the mind, and helps the
body heal from trauma of the day. If you get enough sleep regularly
every night you will feel and work better.
Sleep effectiveness
Sleeping and waking are part of your internal clock controlled
by your brain. How much sleep should a person get each night?
The amount of sleep a person needs depends a lot on his or her
age. As an example babies sleep about 14-15 hours, while older
people need only 7-8 hours each night. Most kids between the ages
of 5 and 12 years old somewhere in between need 10 to 11 hours
of sleep. Some kids might need more and some need less. However,
can we have less than 8 hours of sleep? Find out more!
It depends on the individual. Some people need a great deal of
sleep, while others require only a minimum of sleep. The individual
needs to get the amount of sleep necessary to feel alert, healthy,
and totally fit. If an individual is dragging during the night
then he needs to get more sleep. Some people may require more
sleep due to their circadian rhythm and their metabolism. Their
body processes may require more time, so they may need more sleep
to rest and restore their body.
Skipping one night's sleep can make a person irritable and inept.
Once a person misses two nights of sleep, that person will have
problems thinking and doing things. The brain can no longer do
their normal tasks as well. After five nights without sleep, a
person will hallucinate. Eventually, it becomes impossible for
the brain to give its directions to the rest of the body without
sleep.
The amount of sleep not only affects your mortality but also your
personality. Some people are by nature long sleepers, and some
are short sleepers. Studies show that people, who tend to sleep
longer, tend to be more introverted and creative. People who require
less sleep tend to be more extroverted and concrete.
Whether or not you are a long sleeper or a short one, getting
too few hours of sleep can make one cranky and less energetic,
which the majority of people have probably experienced. Continual
lack of sleep can lead to mental issues such as depression, deprive
one of thinking clearly, and hinder the quality of work.
Recorded brain waves have helped in the study of the different
stages of sleep. The studies have indicated that there are four
stages of sleep that occur in cycles each lasting about ninety
minutes.
When you first fall asleep, your brain waves will slow down, as
you become more relaxed. As you experience the third stage your
body and mind become more unaware of the world outside. The fourth
stage is the deepest stage in the cycle known as Rapid eye movement,
which is the stage in which most people dream. After ten or more
minutes of REM sleep, the sleep cycle repeats. This goes on all
through the night at least three or four times. During REM sleep,
not only do your eyes move around quickly, your heart rate increases,
and your automatic body processes speed up. These periods last
about twenty minutes a stretch and occur four or five times during
the night, alternating between REM sleep and non-REM sleep. During
this time your body functions slow down and you get your deepest
sleep.
Myths of Sleep
If you sleep longer, you'll be more awake and have more energy
in your life. Getting more sleep than your body needs actually
will rob you of energy and damage your effective sleeping patterns.
If your body sleeps longer than it needs to you put stress on
a number of other factors such us your melatonin hormone levels,
your exposure to sunlight, and your body temperature rhythm.
Sleeping for longer than normal periods of time or trying to catch
up on sleep only weakens your effective sleep system, which in
turn can lower your immune system.
You need to Catch Up on Sleep that you have missed. Unless you
have not slept for several days, there is no need to catch up
on sleep. During the first 3 - 4 hours of sleep is when we experience
most of State 3 and Stage 4 sleep. Sleeping longer than you usually
do is not beneficial in anyway.
I feel low on energy; I must not be getting enough sleep. Quantity
is not the answer here, quality is. People have a tendency to
think that sleep is a very basic thing. The truth is that sleep
is actually quite a complex system that most of us take for granted.
Due to the fact that most people do not understand how our inner
sleep system works, we aren't aware of the actions being taking
that are damaging our effective sleep systems and patterns that
are depriving us of energy.
Copyright (c) 2005 All Rights Reserved
About the Author
By
Matt Daren
Visit http://www.sleeptalks.com
We can help you sleep more effectively and feel more energy in
your life than before. Discover more in one of the life mystery!
