Why We Sleep
Have you ever wondered why sleep is so important?
Everyone needs sleep. Sleep is vital to our overall health and well-being. Research shows not getting enough sleep increases your risk of various health disorders such as diabetes, depression, obesity, and high blood pressure. Chronic lack of sleep can also affect our cognitive abilities, making it harder to think, learn, and work efficiently. Sleep is very complex. Many books have been written on how to get good sleep and things you can do if you have insomnia.
Contrary to popular belief, the brain does not shut down during sleep. Until the mid-20th century, it was thought the body and brain were completely dormant. In fact, the brain is very active and engaged in important activities necessary for life and closely linked to quality of life.
During sleep, the brain sorts memories and organizes thoughts, similar to performing housekeeping functions. This helps you to recall them later when needed. Over time, the brain can become unable to function properly without proper sleep. This can result in:
- Difficulty learning.
- Trouble creating new memories.
- Decreased concentration.
- Struggling to respond appropriately to the environment.
- Persistent mental illness.
- Irreversible damage.
Different parts of our amazing brain perform different functions during sleep. The hypothalamus controls the onset of sleep, while the hippocampus is very active and responsible for dreaming. The amygdala is where we experience emotions during active dreaming, and the thalamus prevents all this brain activity from reaching the cortex.
The cortex is where higher level brain processing occurs when we are awake. Things like thought, language, creativity, learning, and decision making.
Do you get enough sleep?
So, how much sleep do we actually need?
Hours of sleep per day vary by age group, according to the CDC. Their recommendations are shown below:
Age Group
Newborn
InfantÂ
ToddlerÂ
PreschoolÂ
School Age
Teen
AdultÂ
Age
0–3 months
4–12 months
1–2 years
3–5 years
6–12 years
13–18 years
18–60 years
61–64 years
65 years & up
Hours per Day
14–17 hours
12–16 hours (with naps)
11–14 hours (with naps)
10–13 hours (with naps)
9–12 hours
8–10 hours
7 or more hours
7–9 hours
7–8 hours
Parents: Need help with little ones and sleep?Â
I recommend a few very helpful books:
– Dr Seuss’s Sleep Book
– Precious Little Sleep: The Complete Baby Sleep Guide for Modern Parents
Another idea? These wonderful sound machines!
– Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Sound Machine
– Easysleep Sound White Noise Machine with night light
What are sleep cycles?
Sleep consists of two phases:
Rapid eye-movement sleep
(REM sleep) and non-rapid eye-movement (NREM sleep).
The amount of time spent in each phase varies throughout our lifetime, with the body cycling through all stages of sleep approximately 4 to 6 times per night. On average, each cycle lasts around 90 minutes. The body needs to cycle through REM and NREM the optimal number of times for our age in order to feel rested.
In conclusion, getting enough restful sleep is essential for our physical and mental health. It is important to prioritize sleep and create a consistent sleep schedule that works for your age group. By doing so, you can reap the benefits of good quality sleep and improve your overall wellbeing.
In a separate post, I discuss factors that prevent you from having a restful sleep and give helpful tips and solutions to improve your sleeping habits.
Enjoy the journey!
Doc Tibbs
🌷🌼🌻
More Helpful Links
CDC: Sleep and Chronic Disease
Harvard Health: Will a good night’s sleep help my heart?
Harvard Health: Addressing poor sleep may help heart health
Sleep Foundation: How Sleep Deprivation Affects Your Heart
to have Healthy Relationships
Is your relationship with your teen child strained or difficult?
Fostering healthy relationships is vital for the social and emotional well-being of teenagers. By promoting open communication, teaching empathy, setting boundaries, and being positive role models, parents can provide the necessary guidance and support for their teen to navigate the complexities of friendships. Your involvement and guidance as a parent plays a significant role in shaping a teenager’s social experiences and helping them establish meaningful connections with their peers.
Join Dr. Tibbs, as she provides an easy-to-read handbook based on personal parenting experiences as well as her professional experience as a pediatrician. Rest assured that your best parenting days are still ahead of you!
CORDS:
Reflections on Weaving the Tapestry of Life
Dr. Tibbs’ book is a powerful meditation on the meaning of family, identity, and community. There’s something beautiful about learning to love your culture and simultaneously cultivating in your children the awareness that everyone has a culture or heritage that is important to them.
One thought on “Sleep: The Importance of Getting Enough Rest”