Importance Of ZZZZzzzzz

How much sleep is really enough?

 You see me and my mum we love our sleep were such good sleepers my mum sometimes tells me i napped for to long during the day and then not long enough in the morning its not my fault if i got cold, or i needed to do a really big burp or even wicked charlie ( something to talk about another day) woke me up by jumping all over mum and dads bed .... so we have decided to see is theres such a thing as to much sleep or not enough. 

 Infants: 16 hours

Teenagers: 9 hours

Adults: 7 to 8 hours per night. Some adults may need 5 hours or as many as 10 hours per night.

Pregnant women: particularly during the first 3 months may need more sleep. 

Sleep is essential for the normal functioning of all systems in the body. Sleep has direct effect on the individual's mental and physical health. Lack or poor sleep can affect the individual's ability to fight and endure sickness, cause irritability, poor concentration, impaired memory and decreases hand-eye co-ordination.  

It's a dynamic process (brain activity continues during sleep). In humans cells produce and release proteins essential for growth (especially in children) and tissue repair during sleep. Sleep helps humans maintain optimal emotional and social functioning while awake by giving a rest during sleep to the parts of the brain that control emotions and social interactions. Sleep is a complicated process that is not fully understood.

Something interesting- Circadian Rhythms

Biological variations that occur in the course of 24 hours are called circadian rhythms. Circadian (from latin meaning around the day) rhythms are controlled by the body's biological clock. Many bodily functions follow the biological clock, but sleep and wakefulness consist of the most important circadian rhythm. The hypothalamus controls the sleep/wakefulness rhythm.

Light directly affect the sleep/wakefulness rhythm. Light is called a zeitgeber , a German word meaning time-giver, as it sets the biological clock.

The hypothalamus also controls body temperature. Body temperature increases during the day and decrease at night. Prolactin, testosterone and growth hormone have a maximal secretion at night.

Circadian rhythms can be affected by external stimulus, beeping of the alarm, timing of meals, crossing of time zones (leading to jet lag), and shift work. It usually takes several days for the body to adjust to the new time.

People who work at night or shift work, experience symptoms similar to those seen in people with jet lag. The individual's wake up time conflicts with powerful sleep-regulating cues (ie. sunlight) they become drowsy at work and even have trouble falling sleep during their off time. In this case, the biological clock wants to do one thing while the individual is doing something else. People that do shift work may have an increased risk of heart, gastrointestinal, emotional and mental problems. All of these problems may be related to the disruption of the circadian rhythm. 

*** If you feel drowsy during the day or during boring activities you haven't had enough sleep*** 

six reasons to get enough sleep:

1. Learning and memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who’d slept after learning a task did better on tests later.
2. Metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.
3. Safety: Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.
4. Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.
5. Cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
6. Disease: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.

 

 Too much sleep...

sleeping too long can make us as tired and lethargic as having too little. If you wake up tired after sleeping for eight hours or longer, more sleep is not what you need. ( maybe coffee) You may thinks that because you sleep too much you're the exact opposite of those who have too little sleep. In fact excessive sleep is actually another form of insonmia. Yes really! Because you're not acheiving the right kind of rest, this is why you find it so hard to get up, or perhaps you have problems with sleepiness during the day.
Too much sleep can weaken your sleep system. Your body is not awake for long enough to absorb enough sunlight ( happy rays), get enough exercise (pram walking) or engage in enough tiring activities.( washing the dishes).

Conclusion: I keep doing what i do best and mum can work around me!

xx Yasmine.