Is good sleep important for our health?

What actually is sleep?

• Sleep accounts for one-quarter to
one-third of the human lifespan.
• Before the 1950s it was believed that
sleep was passive activity during
which the body and the brain were
dormant.
• But later it turned out that sleep is a
period during which the brain is
engaged in a number of activities
necessary to life. Which are linked to
quality of life.
The two stages of
• The first one is non-REM sleep/The second one is REM
sleep Non-REM sleep has four stages
The first stage comes between being awake and falling
REM asleep.
(rapid eye movement) The second is light sleep, when heart rate and breathing
regulate and body temperature drops.
The third and fourth stages are deep sleep.
REM sleep
As you cycle into REM sleep, the eyes move rapidly behind
closed lids, and brain waves are similar to those during
wakefulness. Breath rate increases and the body becomes
temporarily paralyzed as we dream.
The cycle then repeats itself, but with each cycle you spend
less time in the deeper stages three and four of sleep and
more time in REM sleep. On a typical night, you’ll cycle
through four or five times.
 Why do you need sleep
• If you have ever felt foggy after a poor
night’s sleep, it won’t surprise you
that sleep significantly impacts brain
function. First, a healthy amount of
sleep is vital for “brain plasticity,” or
the brain’s ability to adapt to input. If
we sleep too little, we become unable
to process what we’ve learned during
the day and we have more trouble
remembering it in the future. Sleep is
vital to the rest of the body too. When
people don’t get enough sleep, their
health risks rise. Symptoms of
depression, seizures, high blood
pressure and migraines worsen.
 Oversleep
• Did you know that sleeping too much How much sleep Is too much?
could also be problematic? • Sleep needs can vary from person to
Oversleeping is associated with many person, but in general, experts
health problems, including: Type 2 recommend that healthy adults get an
diabetes, Heart disease, Obesity, average of 7 to 9 hours per night of
Depression, Headaches, Greater risk shuteye.
of dying from a medical condition.
• If you regularly need more than 8 or 9
• if you find yourself always nodding off hours of sleep per night to feel rested,
or looking for the next nap, it might it might be a sign of an underlying
be time to see your doctor. problem.
 Oversleep
What’s making you so tired?
• A number of conditions can disrupt sleep
or interfere with the quality of your
slumber, leading you to feel tired and
sluggish even after spending 8 hours in
bed. Those conditions include:
Sleep apnea, a breathing disorder that
causes brief pauses in breathing during
sleep
Restless legs syndrome, a brain disorder
that causes an unpleasant and
sometimes overwhelming urge to move
your legs when you’re at rest
Bruxism, in which you grind or clench
your teeth during sleep
Chronic pain
Certain medications
 Sleep deprivation
• Sleep deprivation is caused by • Your central nervous system is the
consistent lack of sleep or reduced information highway of your body. Sleep is
necessary to keep it functioning properly,
quality of sleep. Getting less than 7 but chronic insomnia can disrupt how your
hours of sleep on a regular basis can body usually sends information.
eventually lead to health • During sleep, pathways form between nerve
consequences that affect your entire cells (neurons) in your brain that help you
body. This may also be caused by an remember new information you’ve learned.
underlying sleep disorder. Sleep deprivation leaves your brain
exhausted, so it can’t perform its duties as
• Without enough sleep, your brain and well.
body systems won’t function normally. • You may also find it more difficult to
It can also dramatically lower your concentrate or learn new things. The signals
quality of life. your body send may also be delayed,
decreasing your coordination and increasing
your risk for accidents.
• Sleep deprivation also negatively affects your
mental abilities and emotional state.
 How to prevent sleeping disorders
• Try not to take naps during the day
because naps may make you less sleepy
at night.
• Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol late
in the day. Caffeine and nicotine are
stimulants and can keep you from falling
asleep. Alcohol can cause waking in the
night and interferes with sleep quality.
• Get regular exercise. Try not to exercise
close to bedtime because it may
stimulate you and make it hard to fall
asleep. Experts suggest not exercising
for three hours before the time you go
to sleep.
• Don't eat a heavy meal late in the day.
Марио Христов №18 9в клас