Important Facts of Sleep

We look comfortable and peaceful from outside life. But what really happens while we sleep? We spend about a third of our lives (about 25 years) asleep, but we barely remember what we lived asleep. When you sleep, your body continues to function and a complex cycle of regeneration begins that is vital to your health and well-being. We can list other unknown facts about sleep as follows:

1. Necessity of Sleep

Sleep researcher William Dement claims that lack of sleep is a major threat. Most people do not get enough sleep. 20% of people sleep less than 6 hours a day, whereas people’s need for sleep is at least 8 hours a day. So why do you need to sleep? The answer seems obvious. Without sleep, we become zombies all day long with just caffeine and a tired determination. Although there is no definitive answer to its exact purpose, sleep is believed to help restore body tissues and help the growth process.

2.Circadian Rhythm

When we sleep and wake up by setting an alarm, we have trouble waking up and falling asleep. This happens because your body moves according to its biological clock. A region of your brain called the hypothalamus regulates your sleep and wakefulness patterns, matching them to the 24-hour and day cycle. A person usually sleeps 8 hours during this time and is awake up to the age of 16. Be careful – being unusually late or delaying sleeping for too long can disrupt your rhythm and require sleep adjustment for a while.

3.Sleep Cycle

The sleep process takes place in five different stages that are repeated every 90 minutes. The first time you lie down to rest, your breathing rate slows down when you go from being conscious to a light sleep known as stage 1. After waiting for about two minutes, you are further relaxed by entering stage 2 sleep. Your body temperature drops and you breathe in this 20-minute phase. Stages 3 and 4 – places where sleep gait and speech can occur – move into deep, restorative forms of sleep characterized by large, slow brain waves. Together it takes about 30 minutes. Before you enter stage 5 – you go through stages 3 and 2, an interesting stage known as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Most people repeat this cycle several times in the morning.

4. REM Sleep

REM sleep is the stage where dreams come true. It is characterized by accelerated heart rate, rapid and irregular breathing, and periods in which the eyes roll forward and backward. About 25 percent of the night is spent in REM sleep, and people will remember more than 80 percent of the time as a dream if they wake up during a REM period. The average person spends about 600 hours each year during REM sleep.

5. REM Rebound

While the exact function of REM sleep is strongly debated, the fact that we need REM sleep is indisputable. If frequently interrupted or deprived during sleep, our body compensates by naturally switching to REM sleep (stages 1, 2, 3 and 4), a phenomenon known as REM rebound. Humans are not the only ones who need REM sleep because REM rebound has been observed in other animals as well.

6.The Function of Dreams

The phenomenon of REM rebound shows that dreams serve a purpose beyond just entertainment. A number of theories attempt to explain the function of dreams. Psychologist Sigmund Freud – his theories revolve around the concept of the “unconscious mind”. He believed that dreams were a way for a person to harmlessly empty unpressed thoughts and desires. A more recent theory suggests that dreams allow us to consolidate and organize our memories, and another serves the physiological purpose of maintaining and maintaining the neural pathways of dreams. Despite these ideas, other experts claim that dreams are nothing more than random bursts of meaningless brain activity.

7.Sleeplessness: A Common Sleep Disorder

The most commonly reported sleep disorder is insomnia, experienced in about 10 to 15 percent of adults. Insomnia report difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. While some turn to sleeping pills or alcohol, a number of natural alternatives have been created to help with insomnia. Experts recommend regular exercise, a consistent sleep schedule, and a relaxing bedtime routine for those struggling with insomnia.

8.Hypnic Jerks

Sometimes something strange can happen between stages 1 and 2. Perhaps you have experienced this phenomenon: just as you start drifting, your body unintentionally trembles in response to a sudden feeling of falling. Experts say they are completely normal

They insist, but the reason is unclear. Some theorize that as the brain relaxes the muscles, the brain accidentally records the fall of the body and jolts to “catch” itself.