The average duration of sleep is considered to be around 8 hours per day. Of course some people will sleep for more hours and others may function successful on 4 or 5 hours of sleep. Rumour has it that when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minster she successfully functioned on 4 to 5 hours of sleep each night.
So why is sleep important to us? The following are extracts taken from some research that describes explains why sleep is so vital to healthy human functioning.
1) Sleep and mood. A lack of sleep leads to that tired feeling and our stress levels increase making us irritable and snappy.
2) Healing and sleep. When we sleep, and as the body rests, so our healing immune system can do some of their best work to repair damage and fight infection.
3) REM and sleep. A vital part of sleep is the REM or Rapid Eye Movement phase. Deprivation of this phase for extended periods of time can lead to mental instability.
4) Metabolism and sleep. Sleep helps metabolism. Insomnia affects the release of hormones which in turn alters our appetite.
5) Sleep helps the memory. During sleep our minds organise and compound our memories.
With a good and regular night or daytime sleep (some people work night shifts) being crucial, it is imperative to do take action if any early signs that sleep problems are turning into insomnia. The sooner you do something about sleep disturbance the more likely you are to resolve it.
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