The Science of sleep

Sleep is one of the straight things we do each day. The average adult will spend 36% of his or her life asleep. For example one-third of our time on earth, we transition from the vibrant, thoughtful, active organizations we are during the day and power down into a quiet state of hibernation.

But what at all is sleep and why is it so important to our bodies and minds? That’s what this article is to help you understand.

 

THE PURPOSE OF SLEEP:

Sleeping serves multiple purposes that are essential to our brains and body. Let’s look at some of them;

The first purpose is restoration: Every day, our brain accumulates metabolic waste as it goes about its normal neural activities. While this is completely normal, too much accumulation of these waste products has been linked to neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and research has suggested that sleep plays a crucial role in cleaning out the brain each night. While these toxins can be flushed out during waking hours, researchers have found out that during sleep it is as much as twofold faster than waking hours. Your brain is restored during sleep and you wake up refreshed and with a clear mind.

The second purpose of sleep is memory consolidation: sleep is crucial for memory consolidation, which is the process that maintains and strengthens your long term memories. Insufficient or fragmented sleep can hamper your ability to form both concrete memories and emotional memories, study shows

Finally, for the purpose of sleep, it is paramount for metabolic health. When we sleep 5.5 hours per night instead of the known 8.5 hours per night, a lower proportion of the energy you burn comes from fat, while more comes from carbohydrates and protein. This can predispose you to fat gain and muscle loss. Also, insufficient sleep or abnormal sleep cycles can lead to insulin insensitivity and metabolic syndrome, increasing your risk of diabetes and heart disease.

All these say that better sleep is critical for your mental and physical health. Before you get too deep into this sleep though, don’t forget to ask for God’s protection throughout your sleep.

By George Yawson Vineh.