What Sleep Does to Our Body
Written by Mike Smith
People may not pay much attention to their sleeping patterns but their body listens to how much sleep is being taken in by their system. Sleep restores wasted energy from the previous day and help regenerates cells. Some studies show that healing and the immune system are directly affected by sleep.
Depending on the person’s age and condition sleep requirement may differ, for example a newly born will need at least 12 to 18 hours of sleep, while adults will only need 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. If these sleep requirements are met every night then it will highly benefit that individual’s health.
Unfortunately, a recent survey reports that a lot of adults are getting less than 6 hours of sleep every night. A sleeping disorder experienced by adults start from not being able to create sleep or insomnia symptoms, interrupted sleep and not being able to fall back asleep, and not having enough time to sleep due to multiple jobs or difficult job schedules.
The problem with not having enough sleep produces a wide range of health problems, studies show these following facts;
- The body’s hormone levels are impacted and so is the appetite. The metabolism of the person changes and often results to weight gain.
- The brain is more active when it experiences much needed sleep. The brain is able to store more information so the memory is improved. Test show that mental alertness decreases if a person lacks sleep.
- Sleep has long been proven to be linked with the immune system. Any kind of sleeping disorder can make the body and cells weaker therefore making the person more prone to sickness and diseases.
- Both children and adults are more irritable when they lack sleep. Children may show it by constantly throwing tantrums and crying incessantly during the day. Adults may show it as being moody, impatient, and inability to focus.
- Chronic sleep loss is also linked to increase stress hormone levels that can eventually lead to irregular heartbeats and hypertension.
Society has neglected to put importance on a good night’s rest; they are more concerned about getting more on their paychecks than much needed rest. This current mindset is what’s causing a lot of health concerns today. But the medical field has done its job in proving that sleep is a very important part of our routine that shouldn’t be taken for granted. Treating insomnia symptoms and sleeping problems before they become worse can eventually save a person’s life.
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