What is the meaning of sleep? How to sleep well everyday

Knowing that getting enough sleep is good for our health, do you truly understand the meaning of sleep? How can we have a good night's sleep? 

According to numerous scientific reports, sleep is the power within each person. When someone gets enough sleep, they have the opportunity to develop further. So let's explore this topic together with Soumaki through this article!

Why do we have to sleep?

The three benefits of sleep can be explained as follows:

1. Energy Conservation

Sleep allows us to replenish energy after a long day. When we sleep for a sufficient 8 hours each day, we can save up to 35% of the energy consumed during the day.

During sleep, ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the molecule that carries energy in the body, is transported to where it is needed and generates a crucial compound in the body called adenosine.

Adenosine is identified as the primary regulator of sleep: the biological clock helps balance sleep and wakefulness. As ATP levels decrease, adenosine increases, signaling to the body that it is time to sleep. At this point, sleep helps us reduce the energy demand by allocating a portion of time to carry out lower-level metabolic processes.

Accurate translation into English:

2. Time for repair

Sleep helps the body have time to regenerate and repair damaged cells, aiding in their recovery. These processes include:

• Muscle regeneration

• Protein synthesis

• Tissue development

• Hormone release

• Brain cleansing time

3. Enhancing memory retention

Sleep is an important time for "cleaning up" and rejuvenating the brain. During sleep, nerve cells are refreshed and strengthened, unnecessary connections are eliminated, and important information is stored more deeply.

The harmful effects of sleep deprivation

The harmful effects of sleep deprivation are extremely serious. Do you want to know the consequences?

• Prolonged sleep deprivation is associated with an increased risk of developing diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and other health issues.

• Sleep deprivation can cause mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, stress, and an increased risk of other psychological disorders.

• Performance and concentration: Lack of sleep affects performance and concentration, reducing the ability to think, remember, and make decisions. This can result in decreased productivity, errors in work, and traffic accidents.

• Prolonged sleep deprivation can lead to sleep disorders such as severe insomnia, dizziness, difficulty sleeping, and shallow sleep.

• Increased risk of accidents: Sleep deprivation increases the risk of traffic accidents, unsafe work conditions, and incidents.

Until now, sleep deprivation has contributed to numerous serious accidents. Examples include the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Three Mile Island nuclear accident, and the Challenger space shuttle explosion.

Sleep cycle

Understanding the harmful effects and significance of sleep makes us more eager to find ways to achieve deep sleep. To achieve this, let's start by exploring a sleep cycle that consists of REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement) stages as follows:

Stage 1: Lasts a few minutes

Stage 1 is a very short stage that typically lasts only a few minutes. This is the moment when the body transitions from a wakeful state to a hazy, dreamy state.

During this stage, bodily functions such as heart rate, respiration, and eye movements begin to slow down. Muscles relax, and there may be occasional jerking movements. Brain waves slow down from the wakeful state.

Stage 2: 50% of the sleep cycle

During a period of 10 to 60 minutes, the stage of light sleep occurs, typically lasting 10 to 25 minutes in the initial cycle. The duration of this stage increases in subsequent cycles. This is the stage where you fall asleep faster than any other time. In this stage, the body's systems continue to slow down and relax. Core body temperature decreases, eye movements cease, and brain waves slow down.

Stage 3: Deep sleep stage

Stage 3, also known as the final stage of REM sleep, typically lasts for 20-40 minutes, with each new cycle reducing the duration of deep sleep. During this stage, heart rate and breathing slow down to their lowest levels, and the body relaxes. Brain waves also become the slowest while you are asleep. Waking up during this stage is difficult, even with loud noises.

Stage 4: REM sleep stage

The REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep stage, also known as the dream sleep stage, occurs about 70-90 minutes after the start of sleep and lasts for 10-60 minutes.

During this stage, the eyes move rapidly from side to side. You experience dreams as brain activity increases to a more wakeful state. Heart rate approaches wakeful levels, breathing may become faster and irregular. Limbs may become numb and stiff.

How deeply do you need to sleep to achieve good sleep?

The amount of deep sleep required to achieve good sleep can vary for each individual and may depend on factors such as age, health, and personal circumstances.

If you are under 30 years old, you may need around 2 hours of deep sleep per night. However, if you are over 65 years old, you may only be able to achieve half an hour of deep sleep or may have difficulty entering deep sleep each night. If someone is unable to sleep deeply or has too little deep sleep, it may be a sign of a sleep disorder.

How do you know if you are sleeping deeply or not?

If you wake up feeling exhausted, it may be a sign that you are not getting enough deep sleep. The table below can help estimate the appropriate amount of sleep for different time frames throughout the day:

See more: Sustainable lifestyle - A beautiful commitment for future generations

Tips for better sleep

The following suggestions will help you fall asleep faster and achieve a more restful sleep:

Conclusion