A good night's sleep is crucial for a healthy body and mind and is absolutely necessary in order to feel restored and refreshed. During sleep, the body's cells regenerate and our brains are extremely active, even if we're unaware of it. A complex pattern of brain wave activities takes place during sleep that are vital to a variety of functions and parts of the body. During sleep, important energy is conserved. Sleep allows your brain time to process the information it has taken in during the day and prevents an overload of data.
There are five stages of sleep: The first stage is light sleep, during which there are still eye movements. During this phase some people experience muscle jerks or a falling sensation. Stage two is when the eye movements cease and brain wave activity becomes slower. In stage three, delta waves begin to appear. Delta waves are brain waves that are extremely slow. Stage four is what is known as the deep sleep phase where there is no eye movement or muscle activity. The fifth stage is REM sleep, where breathing becomes faster, eyes experience quick, jerky movements and muscles of the limbs become paralyzed. During this phase, the heart rate and blood pressure increases. REM phases happen in cycles, first occurring approximately one hour after an individual falls asleep.
The amount of sleep we need varies from person to person. Traditional knowledge states eight hours is best, but some people find that they can survive on less or need more. You may need anywhere from four to ten hours of sleep a night depending on your individual chemistry. Experiment to see how much sleep helps you feel your best. If you're not getting enough sleep, you will feel irritable, your immune system will suffer and even your heart rate may be affected. Your body temperature will drop and you will have trouble communicating and remembering. You may also experience headaches. If you get too much sleep, you may also feel irritable. And surprisingly enough, you may feel fatigued.
Insomnia and Sleep Disorders
There are several sleep related disorders a person can experience, but one of the most common is insomnia. Insomnia is experienced in one of four ways: trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, sleep state misperception, and premature waking. There can be many different causes of insomnia. Common causes are too much caffeine, eating too late, certain medications, alcohol, nicotine, other drugs, and some herbs. However, there can be other causes such as depression, anxiety, or other underlying disorders that may not even be sleep related. Insomnia falls into three categories depending on the length of occurrence: Transient insomnia that lasts only a few nights, short-term insomnia lasting a few weeks, or chronic insomnia that lasts a month or more. If you're experiencing insomnia, your doctor can advise you on treatments to try or lifestyle changes you should make.
Achieving a Better Night's Sleep
Now that you know why sleep is so important to your health, you need to know how to get a good night's sleep. Your bedroom should be comfortable and inviting. Keep the temperature low to encourage effective sleep. Avoid eating heavy or spicy foods prior to going to bed. Exercise can be great for improving sleep quality, but be sure not to exercise up to three hours before bedtime. A warm bath with fragrant chamomile and lavender oil can be a soothing way to prepare for sleep.
Your bed also makes a big difference in the quality of your sleep. If your mattress is too firm or too soft, you may wake up with aches and pains. Many people are turning to adjustable beds to ensure the best night's sleep they can get. With an adjustable bed, the mattress can be adjusted with the simple push of a button to the optimum position for your individual body type. Some adjustable beds even allow two people to control their individual sides of the bed which overcomes the problems that couples with different mattress positioning or hardness needs may have.
Clearly, the importance of sleeping well should not be underestimated. By discovering what helps you to sleep the best you'll improve your quality of life and help to avoid health problems that can often be attributed to bad sleeping habits. Learn to sleep well and you may well find that your waking hours are more akin to a dream come true!
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