Why do you sleep? Have you ever thought about that? Sleep and dreams have been the mystery of mankind. There are so many question marks around these things, but now there’s a more concrete answer to the questions related to your health and sleep.
Hustle culture mostly disregards the idea of proper sleep, as they believe sleeping for a long time is laziness. I disagree with that. I can say from my personal experience that sleep is the key to productivity; fuel to energy and strength.
I have decided to divide into two parts; this is the first one, where I will give an idea of the science behind sleep and health. In the second part, how can you improve your sleep routine, and some tips? [This is not to be used for medical purposes, only a knowledge about the topics]
What is sleep?
Sleep is a state when our body is less aware of the outside world. It is a complex process that involves some essential activities, relaxed muscles, and an involuntary process. People can’t live without oxygen and water; similarly, without sleep.
Sleep allows you to have space for healing and processing. Living beings are made in such a way that sleep is like breathing; a must to survive. Dolphins sleep with half of their brain still working all the time.
24 hours without sleep alters your judgment capacity, 48 hours cause microsleep( blackouts mostly), and 72 hours lead to hallucinations, manic attacks. So, there’s no argument for why we need to sleep, as our body answers most vividly.
Why is sleep fundamental?
When you are awake, your body is busy keeping up with activities like thinking, reading, eating, walking, and everything you do. Your organs are always busy. Sleep is the only period they get to restore their energy, heal, and get ready for the next day. Sleep is not an option; mandatory to regain physical, mental, and emotional strength.
The brain gets to process the information and memories you have gained for the day during sleep mode. Deep sleep signals the body to release hormones to heal the organs, tissues, and bones.
If you don’t sleep enough, not only will fatigue be your companion, immune system will get weak. Late-night sleepers have a greater risk of cancer and heart disease.
Just like trataka is a cleansing technique for the mind, sleep is the cleansing technique for the brain. The blue zones people have one prominent practice that is adequate sleep.
Scientific studies say REM sleep triggers the creative and problem-solving side of the brain. I am sure you have noticed that when you haven’t slept enough, you can’t focus on any creative work.
How much sleep do you need?
The amount varies from individual to species. Every body functions differently with different requirements. For example, a python needs 18 hours per day of total sleep, but a giraffe needs only on average 1.9 hours per day.
Among humans, the time varies from 5 to 11 hours. Babies sleep almost all day with breaks. They need 16-18 hours of total sleep as their body is in a state of functionality. Then adolescents sleep more than adults because their bodies go through changes during that period. Once an adult, you can manage with 6-8 hours a day of average sleep.
There’s a term called sleep debt, which refers that if you don’t get sufficient sleep, then it keeps piling up and in the future, you have to fill up the gaps you have created. If you often doze off at work, that means you have sleep debt. To have a healthy body and mind, the debts must be repaid.
That’s why it’s important to find the amount of sleep you need. Otherwise, unintentionally, you are falling into sleep debt, and thus an unhealthy, irritable day is to pass.
The science behind sleep
To understand the science behind sleep, you need to know first about the biological systems. Circadian rhythm and sleep-wake homeostasis are responsible for the period.
Circadian Rhythm
It is our body’s internal clock that synchronises with the day-night cycle. The human body is made in such a way that we are supposed to sleep at night and wake up in the day. But there are different exceptions as well; some are night owls, meaning they are more active at night than during the day because their circadian clock is adapted to the 24-hour clock.
Circadian rhythm was first discovered in 1729 by Jean-Jacques d’Ortous de Mairan, a French geophysicist. A group of nerve cells located in the hypothalamus is called the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN); the “master clock”. They detect light from the retina and signal to release hormones.
SCN synchronises the hormone releases by detecting the light, such as during the night, and melatonin release. Melatonin, cortisol, growth hormones, hunger hormones, insulin, and sex hormones ( testosterone, estrogen, etc.) are in control of circadian rhythm.
Another fundamental hormone, serotonin, is closely connected to circadian rhythm. Serotonin plays a vital role in mood regulation, appetite, and melatonin suppression. Low serotonin is a trigger for depression.
Genetic clock, habits can disrupt the rhythm. For example, early “Larks” are more productive in the morning around 6 am, and late owls are at night, 10 pm. Most of us are in between.
Sleep-wake homeostasis
It is one of the primary processes working in alignment with the circadian rhythm. It balances the need for sleep. It ensures that the more you are awake, the more you can rest. It builds up a neuromodulator named Adenosine, which is cleared when you sleep. Adenosine creates sleep pressure, melatonin rises, and you finally feel sleepy.
Caffeine works like an adenosine blocker. The effects of caffeine last for about 5 hours, keeping you from feeling tired.
The stages of sleep
There are five stages of sleep in total. The stages were found using three measurements: Brain wave activity, muscle tone, and movement of the eye. Non-REM sleep and REM sleep are the two kinds, among which non-REM is divided into four stages by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).
Non-REM sleep
The first stage is light sleep, in between 1-5 minutes per cycle. Theta waves are seen in the brain waves. Muscle relaxations, slow eye movements, and relaxed breathing slowly start. Suddenly, muscles can twitch, which are called hypnic jerks. Any noise or movement can easily wake up in this stage.
The second stage is the largest part of human sleep, almost 45-50% of sleep, and is considered true sleep. Theta waves become slower, and K-complex named brain wave activity, starts working. The breathing and heart rate get lower, and eye movement starts to slow down as well.
The third and fourth stages are considered as one, as the distinction is too shallow. The largest and slowest brain waves, delta waves, take the place. In this synchronised sleep stage, disorientation can happen if forcefully woken up. This stage is vital because physical and memory restoration starts, hormone regulation, and the immune system are boosted. Maximizing deep sleep will help in health recovery, though it declines in older adults.
REM sleep
REM, aka rapid eye movement, was named by Nathaniel Kleitman and Eugene Aserinsky in 1953. On average, a person goes into the REM stage after 70-90 minutes of falling asleep. In this stage, eye movements are rapid, blood pressure and breathing increase. REM stages are when we dream mostly.
There are some interesting research results about dreams. It is said that dreams and schizophrenia have similar neurochemical situations, deregulations of dopamine release. Dreams and REM sleep are related to depression. Depressed people are supposed to see more dreams than normal. That’s why many antidepressants are prescribed to limit the REM sleep stage.
The fascinating world of sleep and dreams will always be a mystery, no matter how much we research and figure things out. It’s an unknown world. In the second part of this article, I am focusing on the sleep problems and some possible ways toward a healthy sleep schedule as a move toward wellness and self-care.
The Second part: Why can’t I sleep? The problems and sleep hygiene 101.
