The Guide To Sleeping Productively

Synopsis

Doctors say that this cycle is a heightened anabolic state – a certain period when the body produces new nervous and muscular tissue and bone. To put it simply, this is a period when the body grows and being repaired.

The Basics

Sleep is triggered by a group of hormones in the body. These hormones react to cues within the body and in the environment. There is an approximate 80 percent of sleep time without dreams. This stage of dreamless sleep is referred to as NREM which stands for non-rapid eye movement. Dreams occur primarily during rapid eye movement or REM.

During non-rapid eye movement sleep or NREM, the breathing and heart rates are slow and the blood pressure goes down. Based on the Rechtschaffen and Kales standardization of the year 1968, NREM was divided into 4 stages. However, it has been reduced to 3 by The American Academy of Sleep Machine in 2007.

Stage 1 – This stage mostly occurs in the start of sleep wherein theta wave emerges while alpha waves vanish. Those who are aroused from this stage believe that they have been completely awake. It is also in this stage when the body experiences hypnic jerks.

Stage 2 – In this stage, dreaming is rare and no eye movement takes place. The sleeper may also be wakened easily.

Stage 3 – This is also referred to as slow-wave sleep of SWS, wherein deep sleep takes place. This is also the stage when dreaming occurs. However, the content of slow-wave sleep is likely to be less memorable, less vivid and disconnected than those in rapid eye movement sleep.

On the other hand, rapid eye movement sleep also known as REM, is a normal phase of sleep making up between20% and 25% of the whole sleep time. Apart from the swift movement of the eyes, this stage is also characterized by low muscle tone.

Human beings usually experience 4 to 5 REM sleep periods during a usual full session of sleep, and the last is longer than the first one. According to sleep experts, the brain neurons are as dynamic during rapid eye movement sleep as they are when the body is awake. However, atonia, a relaxed state of the skeletal muscles, makes the body paralyzed during REM.

In the succeeding chapters, you will know more about sleep and how to make the most out of it.

Chapter 2:

The Importance of the Right Sleep

Synopsis

According to National Sleep Foundation, all people need to get the right sleep because this is how the body recuperates all the energy it has lost after a tiring day.

Well, this is a no-brainer, so you don’t need an expert organization to tell you how important sleep is. Some of the common signs of lack of sleep are incapability to multitask, disinhibition, slowed speech, impaired memory, moodiness and irritability.

Disinhibition pertains to poor risk evaluation and lack of self-control. It commonly results to a reduced ability in managing or editing their response to a certain situation.

The amount of sleep humans need greatly varies with every person, yet on average, an adult must have 8 sleeping hours. Some people have the ability to do well in school or at work with only 6 hours of sleep, while others require 10.

How Sleep Deprivation Can Affect the Body

Psychologists and scientists who conducted study on sleep disorders have found out that sleep deprivation can have an adverse effect on the following:

Metabolic Functions – The processes required for a living organism’s maintenance.

The Immune System – This system is a defense mechanism that is made up of a large network of organs, tissues, and cells working together to give the body shield from any infectious organisms like toxins, parasites, viruses, microbes and bacteria.

Cardiovascular System – This system comprises of capillaries, blood and heart vessels, veins and arteries. It transports gases, metabolic wastes, hormones and foods to and from the cells.

Nervous System – The brain, an integral part of the nervous system, controls everything concerning the body such as fundamental functions, sensations, emotions, thoughts and actions.

There are so many reasons as to why people need to get a good night’s sleep. In fact, it is not just designed for the physical health, but for the mental, social, emotional and spiritual health as well.

By simply having a good quality sleep every night, the quality of your life will also improve. However, this will only be possible if you will fix

your lifestyle and eat a balanced diet. In other words, the quality of sleep you will get will depend on the everyday choices you make and on how you live your life.

Chapter 3:

Watch What You Drink

Synopsis

Have you ever noticed that you feel energized or sleepy after drinking certain things? Well, that is simply because the drinks you consume can affect the quality of your sleep. Just like other human beings, you have the right to sleep soundly at night. So, read the succeeding paragraphs to know the worst drinks that will rob you off a good night’s sleep.

Drinks

Coffee

You surely know for a fact that the main ingredient in coffee is caffeine. This is popularly known as the most common drug in the world because it is a stimulant which works by increasing the body’s energy levels. Research shows that coffee drinkers suffer from a wide range of sleep disorders such as apnea, insomnia and narcolepsy.

If you can’t resist drinking coffee, maybe now is the right time for you to give it up. Yes, it can make you energetic the whole day, but it can make you feel restless the moment you go to bed. If you don’t want to be a living zombie, say goodbye to coffee now!

Alcohol

It is believed that drinking alcohol before going to bed will make you feel relaxed and easier to enter dreamland. This may be true to others, but studies show that this beverage can disrupt sleep and increase your tendency to snore. According to London Sleep Centre scientists, it acts as a sedative, but can disrupt the body’s sleeping pattern.

Those who sleep under the influence will feel like they have been in a deep sleep, buy they have actually been deprived of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

What is alarming nowadays is that so many people have become dependent on alcohol in order to sleep. Experts claim that this is very dangerous to the body because it can lead to addiction and worse, insomnia.

The Relationship of Alcohol and Snoring

Many people think that by drinking too much alcohol, they will immediately fall into a deep sleep. As aforementioned, since it is a sedative, it can cheat the body out of good quality sleep. This is the reason why people who drink alcohol still get tired right after 8 to 9 hours of sleep.