Published on Feb 21, 2017 and last reviewed on Sep 29, 2022 - 3 min read
Abstract
This article highlights the importance of sleep and the consequences of a sleepless night.
Sleep is a word that is defined differently by different people. When a human is born, the baby is said to be kept sleeping for 12-15 hours, which is essential for his growth. But, as we grow older and older, the sleep pattern changes over time, and we end up getting only 5 to 6 hours of sleep every day.
Sleep, as we say, is a state in which all our body mechanics come to a rest position. Sleep consists of REM cycle in which the person does rapid eye movement, where we can say that the individual is dreaming and is completely sleeping. This REM is very much essential to complete the sleep cycle. Recent studies have found that an adult needs a complete 7 to 9 hours of sleep per day. Nowadays, people are getting too busy in their work life that they are not getting much time for good sleep. This has become a routine part of everyone’s life, but they do not realize the consequences they have to face in the next 5 to 6 years because of such negligence.
Sleep will always remain of paramount importance for everyone, and everyone should get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep no matter how important is the work next day or how urgent you are supposed to reach your office next morning.
Find below the importance and effectiveness of sleep.
These are some essential facts about sleep which should be followed by everyone. Every individual needs to make an effort to have a sound sleep to avoid all kinds of health problems. Remember, a person can survive if not taken food for a day but a person’s chance of survival decreases if he does not get a sound sleep for 24 hours.
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Good, adequate, and efficient sleep is essential to lead a healthy lifestyle, as proper sleep patterns help improve brain function, mood enhancement, and mental health.
Various positive outcomes of good sleep make it so important, like:
- Brain function improvement.
- Emotional stability.
- Reduced risk of systemic diseases.
- Weight management.
Optimum sleep durations vary according to the age of the individuals. Children need significantly more sleep than adults. Between the age of 3 to 5 years, children need 10 to 13 hours of sleep, whereas adults (above 18 years) need at least 7 hours of sleep.
“Early to bed and early to rise makes Jack healthy, wealthy, and wise.” It is not just a saying but is scientifically supported. Sleeping early leads to:
- Fewer eye bags.
- Healthier skin.
- Improved mood.
- Better concentration.
- Lower risk of systemic diseases.
- Improves libido.
- Improves immunity.
- Lower risk of vascular disorders.
Sleep improves brain function as a healthy amount of sleep is important for brain plasticity or adapting to stimulus. Sleep also affects how neurons communicate within the nervous system.
A healthy amount of sleep in adults should be between 7 to 9 hours. Most individuals do not need more than 8 hours of sleep every day. Additionally, maintaining a consistent sleep pattern helps reinforce the circadian rhythm of the brain.
Sleep, evidentially, affects a person’s IQ (intelligence quotient). It has been found that with each hour of sleep loss, IQ drops by 6.11 points. Deficient sleep affects cognitive functioning, mental activity, concentration capability, and the ability to learn new things.
The best time to wake up is between the morning hours of 6:30 and 7:00, with around seven hours of sleep in the kit.
Certain lifestyle modifications can be done to improve overall sleep health:
- Strict sleep schedule.
- Diet.
- Restful environment.
- Limiting daytime naps.
- Increased physical activity.
- Stress management.
To fall asleep faster, one must:
- Stop overthinking.
- Maintain a regular sleep schedule.
- Avoid screen time before bedtime.
- Stress management.
- Avoid sleep-depriving food and drinks (like tea and coffee).
During sleep, cutaneous blood flow increases, which helps maintain skin health. In a deficient sleep cycle, the skin repair and maintenance process is hampered, and the individual looks more aged than normal.
Night-time overthinking can lead to inefficient sleep with increased bedtime:
- Distract from meaningless thoughts.
- Do not try to stay awake.
- Stop thinking about sleep (thinking about sleep is counterproductive to falling asleep).
- Get out of bed and write down the running thoughts.
- Deep breathing while lying down in bed
To get good deep sleep, one must:
- Work out daily.
- Eat a fibrous diet.
- Mediation.
- Avoid caffeine for 7 hours before bed.
- Avoid night drinking.
- Create a relaxing bedtime routine.
- Create a good sleeping environment.
It is not clear how long a human can survive without falling asleep. The longest recorded time is around 265 hours which is just over 11 days. Without sleep, hallucination sets in by the third or fourth night.
Medications are not always necessary to induce sleep; some of the natural ways to regularly get good amount of sleep are:
- Stick to a consistent sleep schedule.
- Dietary control.
- Create a restful environment.
- Limit daytime naps.
- Physical activities.
- Stress management.
Last reviewed at:
29 Sep 2022 - 3 min read
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