When you're rushing to meet the demands of modern life, cutting back on sleep sometimes seems like the only solution. Most of us wonder, “Who can afford to spend so much time sleeping?”, but the truth is you can’t afford not to.
Sleep consists of a series of cycles which are designed to restore and refresh your body and mind. Even the smallest reduction in sleep time can have a dramatic effect on mood, energy and ability to handle the stresses that life throws at us.
Our biological clock is regulated by processes in the brain that respond to how long you’ve been awake and the changes between light and dark. This sleep-wake cycle can be disrupted by many factors including irregular sleeping patterns which leave you feeling groggy. So it is important that we endeavour to set a regular bed time and wake up time and try to get 7-9 hours.
There are two main stages of sleep – NREM and REM. The stages of NREM sleep are transitional (when you begin to relax and are falling asleep), light sleep (when your heart rate begins to slow,) and deep sleep (when blood flow is directed away from the brain and towards the muscles in order to restore physical energy). REM is the dream stage of sleep when interestingly arm and leg movement is paralysed. Just as NREM sleep repairs the body, REM sleep repairs the mind. It is certain then, that sleep is a necessity, not a luxury.
Simple steps can be taken to reverse the damage of sleep deprivation;
Aim to get around 8 hours of sleep every night. This will allow the full stages of NREM and REM to occur.
Make sleep a priority. It is just as important as work and other commitments, and you cannot function without it! So keep a sleep diary if necessary.
Do something relaxing around an hour before you go to bed. Avoid television and instead put on some comfortable loungewear and read a book or listen to a mellow CD.
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