SLEEP; IRRELEVANT OR A NECESSITY Part 1: Mystery of Falling Asleep

Some people view sleep as a waste of time. They prefer a very busy daily schedule of business and social engagements and only surrender to sleep when tired. In contrast, others endure night after night of tossing and turning on the bed until morning and would give anything for a good night's sleep.

The question now is; why do some find it hard to sleep, while others are desperate to stay awake? Should we view sleep as a superfluity (something unnecessary) or a necessity?

First, let us know what goes on while asleep.

It has been established that sleep is a complex process regulated by the brain and it obeys a 24-hour biological clock. As we get older, our sleeping habits change. A newborn sleep for frequent short periods that total about 18 hours a day. According to sleep specialists, some adults appear to need only 3 hours of sleep a day, while others need up to 10 hours.

Research has also shown that variations in our biological clock explain why some teenagers struggle to get out of bed in the morning. The biological clock seems to shift forward during puberty, making youngsters want to go to sleep later and wake up later. This sleep delay is common and tends to disappear in the mid-to-late teens. Our biological clock is regulated by chemical substances. One of them is melatonin, a hormone thought to trigger sleepiness. Melatonin is produced in the brain, and it is believed that it is responsible for the slowdown of the body’s metabolism that occurs before falling asleep. As melatonin is released, body temperature and blood flow to the brain are reduced, and our muscles gradually lose their tone and become flaccid.

Approximately 2 hours after we fall asleep, our eyes begin to quiver quickly back and forth. The observation of this phenomenon led scientists to divide sleep into two basic phases: REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and non-REM sleep. During healthy sleep, REM sleep occurs several times, alternating with non-REM sleep. Most dreaming occurs during REM sleep. The body also experiences maximum muscle relaxation, which allows the sleeper to wake up feeling refreshed physically. Also, the newly acquired information is combined as part of our long-term memory during this sleep stage. During deep sleep (non-REM sleep), blood pressure and heart rate reach lower ranges, providing rest for the circulatory system and helping to ward off cardiovascular diseases (CVD). In addition, the production of growth hormones peaks during non-REM sleep.

Sleep also affects our appetite. According to Shakespeare, “Sleep really is the chief nourisher in life’s sleep”. While we are asleep, our body secretes Leptin, the hormone that normally lets our body know that we have eaten enough food. When we stay awake longer than we should, our body produces less leptin, and we feel a craving for more food. So sleep deprivation can lead to increased food consumption, which in turn can lead to obesity.

That’s not all. Sleep makes it easier for our body to metabolize free radicals (molecules that are said to affect the aging of cells and even cause cancer). Sleep deprivation even affects the production of white blood cells and the hormone cortisol, making a person more prone to infections and circulatory diseases. Sleep also affects our minds and behavior. This was evident recently as a popular American musician behaved irrationally and was hospitalized. He was diagnosed with sleep deprivation.

Without a doubt, sleep is vital for a healthy body and mind.

But is all sleep restorative? How can we improve our sleep? The next article will explain more.