When we think about health and wellness, sleep probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. With visions of treadmills, low fat yogurt, and activities like yoga clouding our minds, it's easy to forget that a foundation for good health can be laid with a good night's sleep. What's really cool about improving your health with good sleep is that it's one regimen that you can do laying down! You can even accomplish it without batting an eye.
Why do humans sleep anyway? What is going on when we sleep? Unfortunately, these are questions that even the scientists don't have solid answers for. According to ABC.net.au, we've learned most of what we know about sleep in the last 25 years. Theories today connect sleep with the immune system, growth, memory consolidation, learning, and brain development.
What we do know is that sleep is absolutely necessary. In lab research, rats deprived of sleep died after eleven days. While we haven't proven that humans will die without sleep, we have shown that lack of sleep can cause a myriad of issues. According to HowStuffWorks, sleep deprivation can cause "vision problems, hallucinations, paranoia, mood swings, difficulty communicating or understanding others, a compromised immune system and depression." They also state that "twenty-four hours without sleep can produce as much impairment as being legally drunk".
How Much Sleep do we Need?
There are no hard and fast rules about how much sleep is enough sleep. How much sleep is a good sleep varies from one individual to the next. Most scientists will say that an individual should sleep until they wake up naturally to get the proper amount of sleep. However, there do seem to be differences between age groups.
According to SleepFoundation.org, researchers have found that infants from two to twelve months old need 14 to 15 hours of sleep, where children from three to five years need quite a bit less with an average of 11 to 13 hours of sleep. Children from five to twelve years need about 9 to 11 hours of sleep and teens need 8.5 to 9.5 hours. Adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep.
Sleep also offers an incredible phenomenon that almost all of us are familiar with: dreams. Taking dreams one step further, some people have what are known as lucid dreams. A lucid dream is when you become aware of the fact that you are dreaming. Some people can even take control of the dream and change everything that's happening within it.
Lucid dreams may seem like a mere party trick, but there's more to them. Scientists have seen that the brain sees no difference between an activity while you are awake, and an activity that you dream about while asleep. Therefore, one theory is that you could practice something in a dream, and your brain would reinforce those neural pathways, causing you to actually improve and learn that skill. Even if you aren't interested in practicing your martial arts or learning a new language, lucid dreams provide fantastic opportunities to do things we can't in real life, like jumping from buildings, flying, or kissing that pretty stranger!
Lucid dreams or not, sleep remains an essential piece of the puzzle when it comes to good health. Here are some tips for getting a good sleep and functioning at your very best:
Create a Good Sleep Space
Make your bed inviting with blankets, pillows and sheets that you like. Use textures and colors that you enjoy and perhaps enhance your bedroom with light incense. Let your bed become the perfect relaxing getaway.
Caffeine may wake you up in the morning, but it can have a residual effect on your sleep. Cigarettes are also a stimulant, and alcohol right before bed isn't a good idea either. Nobody wants to hear this, but perhaps when you get more sleep and feel less crabby, it won't be so bad!
Another one you didn't want to hear. Regular exercise is a necessary part of making your body tired. The nifty thing about exercise is when you start doing it, you'll find yourself feeling better and more motivated to exercise some more. Make sure you are exercising earlier in the day because it can be a stimulant for a couple of hours.
Have a scheduled time for sleep and a time to wake up, and stick to the routine, even on weekends. Having a routine before bed that helps you to feel comfortable, relax, and wind down for the night not only helps your body to recognize that sleep is coming, but it feels great too. Get into those super comfy pajamas, make yourself a hot cup of tea, take a warm bath, or read your favorite book. Bedtime can be your all-about-me time, pamper yourself.
Now for some fun facts about sleep from HowStuffWorks:
By studying brainwaves, it is known that reptiles do not dream. Birds dream a little. Mammals all dream during sleep.
Cows can sleep while standing up, but they only dream if they lie down.
Whales and dolphins are "conscious breathers," and they need to keep breathing while they sleep, so only one half of the brain sleeps at a time.
As you can see, sleep is a mysterious but necessary part of human life and getting a good sleep is essential for a healthy mind and body. While scientists are still unraveling the true purpose of sleep and dream enthusiasts are on brain enhancing quests at night, getting a good night's sleep is still an important part of feeling good and living well. Put a little more kick in your day with good sleep!
By L. Hardie | VEESH Writer | JAN.08.08