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Jul 246 min read

Sleep, a vital function for life.

Everything you need to know about sleep and why it is so necessary for human beings.


Humans spend approximately a third of their lives sleeping, the quality of this sleep is as vital to survival as food and water, despite this, its biological purpose remains a mystery, which is why it is important to know the main characteristics of this vital function and what happens when it is not fulfilled.



What is the dream?


Sleep is a physiological need, fundamental for the health of the brain and therefore, for the rest of the body; Normal sleep is a state of decreased consciousness and reaction to external stimuli in a reversible state, which has a periodicity close to 24 hours or "circadian rhythm", which regulates the wake-sleep state.


It is a period during which the brain primarily cycles repeatedly through two types of sleep: non-REM sleep and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. On a normal night, a person can alternate between these two cycles about four or six times, being able to wake up between cycles.


The first part of the cycle is Non-REM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep. During this cycle, heart rate and breathing are regulated and body temperature drops. Its main function is to conserve energy and sleep. recovery of the nervous system.


This cycle is divided into three stages:


- Stage 1: is the transition between wakefulness and sleep.


- Stage 2: the person falls asleep, it is light sleep.


- Stage 3: deep sleep, here brain waves slow down and generally more time is spent in this stage at the beginning of the night.


The second part of the cycle occurs when the person enters REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, here the eyes move quickly with the eyelids closed and the brain waves resemble those that would be seen when the person is awake, without However, in this cycle is when the body is temporarily paralyzed, the body does not regulate temperature correctly and this is when dreams occur. Its main functions are memory consolidation, emotional and immunological regulation and DNA repair.


Approximately 2 hours are spent dreaming each night, although it is not always possible to remember what was dreamed, the exact purpose of dreams is still a matter of debate, although it has been shown that they help process emotions, thoughts and regulate the symptoms of stress. or anxiety, among others.


Why is sleep so important?


A healthy sleep routine can promote proper brain cleansing by removing waste products from brain cells, helping to maintain a healthy immune system and blood pressure.


The circadian rhythm is typical of living beings, it helps regulate rest, it is synchronized with the environmental rhythm, so that we tend to rest in the hours of darkness, it is important to respect these circadian cycles since they regulate the production of hormones. , such as growth hormone, which has a secretion peak at night, the hormone cortisol, the thyroid stimulant, among others.


There are many benefits that are obtained from having a good rest and restful sleep:


- Cellular regeneration: cells regenerate and oxygenate more easily.


- Weight: sleeping well helps regulate and maintain weight, otherwise the body tends to accumulate fat.


- Disease control: not resting well increases the risk of unregulated blood pressure, which may lead to hypertension or diabetes.


- Vascular care: since it is during sleep when the coronary cells and tissues of the heart can repair themselves satisfactorily.


- Mental and intellectual care: it is during sleep that neuronal functioning helps the brain to oxygenate itself, processing the information received during the day, helping with concentration, attention to detail, and coordination of language and ideas.


- Physical coordination: when the body does not rest enough, psychomotor activity is greatly affected and can have serious consequences, so if after a bad night you want to drive, it can become dangerous for the person's life. and from others.



Causes of sleep problems


Currently, at a global level, societies promote uninterrupted activity 24 hours a day, there are more and more activities that occupy the hours intended for sleeping, causing the rates of sleep disorders to increase: places where you eat at dawn, going out with friends or where to exercise, all this causes shift work to proliferate, especially at night to be able to offer these services; Added to this is the fact that all kinds of information flows uninterruptedly through cell phones or any device with Internet access.


Sometimes, sleep disorders can also appear as a result of other diseases such as: psychiatric diseases, anxiety, depression, hypnotic abuse, obesity, emotional stress, anemia, consumption of sedative drugs, antihistamines, neuroleptics or antidepressants.


Consequences of not having a restful sleep


If you sleep little, brain plasticity is altered, the ability to process daily learning is affected and you have more memory problems, specifically in declarative memory, which is responsible for the verbal expression of facts and events and memory. procedural, which memorizes motor skills and abilities.


In addition, poor sleep causes or increases the chances of suffering from cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, psychiatric diseases and cancer.


Sleep disorders affect approximately 40% of the world's population, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The most common sleep problems are insomnia, hypersomnia, snoring, sleep apnea, night terrors, sleepwalking and restless legs syndrome. These sleep disorders have serious implications in daily life: physical exhaustion, poor performance, daytime sleep, difficulty concentration, slow reaction time, etc.


Main cognitive functions affected by sleep loss:


- Sustained intentional attention: attention becomes variable and unstable and errors of omission and commission increase.

- Cognitive slowing.

- Reaction time is prolonged.

- Short-term and working memory decreases.

- The acquisition of cognitive tasks (learning) is affected.

- Perseverative responses increase.

- Making riskier decisions.

- Initial task performance is good at the beginning but deteriorates with long duration tasks.

- Alteration of judgment capacity.

- Decreased cognitive flexibility.

- Mood alterations: irritability, anger.

- Decreases self-monitoring and self-criticism.

- Excessive fatigue and presence of involuntary "microsleeps."



Recommendations for good sleep hygiene


Experts have established a minimum and maximum number of hours necessary according to age, taking into account the state of well-being, physical and emotional health, and cognitive functions.


The following measures are recommendations on behaviors and habits to recover and improve people's sleep quality, which can be used to prevent sleep disturbance:


- Avoid taking long naps (> 1 hour) during the day.

- Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.

- Meditate a few minutes before going to sleep.

- Avoid doing vigorous physical activity before going to sleep.

- Avoid consuming alcohol, tobacco and caffeinated drinks (coffee, tea, chocolate, soft drinks or energy drinks) at least 4 hours before bed.

- Avoid doing very sensory-stimulating activities before going to sleep (video games, internet, television)

- Avoid going to bed if you are stressed, anxious, angry or worried.

- Do not use the bed for other activities: reading, studying, eating, working, etc.

- Sleep in a comfortable bed.

- Do not do important work minutes before going to sleep: work, homework, study.

- Avoid thinking about your day's activities or organizing and planning your future activities while trying to sleep.

- Sleep in a room with low lighting and little ambient noise.



Treatments for insomnia


To restore restful sleep, it is essential to change your sleeping habits and resolve the cause of your insomnia. If this doesn't work, your doctor may recommend cognitive behavioral therapy, medication, or both.


- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy


This type of therapy is recommended as a first-line treatment for insomnia, it can teach you to recognize and change the beliefs that affect your ability to sleep, as well as control or eliminate the negative thoughts and worries that keep you awake, it also helps you. It helps develop better sleeping habits. During this therapy, techniques such as stimulus control therapy, relaxation techniques, sleep restriction therapy or phototherapy, among others, can be used.



- Sleeping medications (sleeping pills)

Sleeping pills can help you fall asleep and sleep better, however, doctors do not recommend relying on these medications for more than a few weeks, as they can cause side effects, such as daytime grogginess, increased falls, and can cause addiction, among others. effects, so it is recommended to always take them with medical supervision.





If after reading this article, you still have questions, I invite you to write them in the comments so that I can help you resolve them, and if you liked it, you are free to share it with whoever you want so that they can also know everything about the important function of the dream.


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Thank you for coming this far, I hope you enjoyed reading.

Psic. Ylenia Abril - Tu espacio mental




Bibliography

- Fabres, l. y Moya, p. (2021). Sueños: conceptos generales y su relación con la calidad de vida. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0716864021000894

- National Geographic (2022). ¿Qué es el sueño y por qué dormimos? https://www.nationalgeographicla.com/ciencia/2022/11/que-es-el-sueno-y-por-que-dormimos

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