Sleep is a very critical part of our daily lives, but many people take sleep for granted unless they are suffering from a sleep disturbance such as insomnia. Sleep is required by our bodies in order to recharge our batteries, rest our brains. Sleep is also a time that our bodies use to work on optimal bacteria levels in the body for a healthy immune system.
Every person needs sleep in order to function. The amount of sleep each person needs is widely varied, but it is suggested by medical experts that about six hours of continuous sleep is the minimum for body function to be maintained, but eight hours of sleep is best.
Every ability we have as human beings requires a certain amount of attention, memory, and learning. This amount varies by the degree of the activity, but without sleep, humans cannot function properly. Lack of sleep is also responsible for several conditions like anxiety, depression, and psychosis.
All of the animal kingdom sleeps. Even though we are defenseless while we sleep, there are valid reasons to slip into this state of oblivion on a regular basis. Throughout our waking time, we are exhausting supplies of proteins because we are active and mobile. These proteins are necessary for bodily functions, at only at times of sleep do our bodies allow for the synthesizing of our foods into complex proteins.
Growth hormones are also secreted during sleep time, which not only helps babies and children to grow, but assists in muscle healing and repairing tissue damage. The immune system is given a healthy boost and the brain is restored of its supply of sugar energy. This constructive process is necessary for the body to function, and it only happens while sleeping.
Sleep experiments on rats showed that sleep is required for more than just a feeling of rest. Rats deprived of sleep died after three weeks and had developed sores on their tails and feet. The inability of the body to restore immune function certainly took its toll.
Not only can death be brought around by sustained sleep deprivation, but also simple things like forgetfulness can occur. Mistakes are made at much higher levels when a person is not sleeping well. Car accidents and medical errors are major factors of sleepiness and not only effect the sufferer, but all others around them.
Sleep is helpful when people become sick, as it allows the body to work harder at the processes of antibody creation and antibiotic absorption. Fever can cause the body's organs to work much harder and kill microbes. People who are sleep deprived are often more susceptible to infection and have a more difficult time in recovering from the illness.
So make sure you always get your sleep. If you feel like your bed is not the best place to get your rest, read some
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