Getting a good night sleep becomes an obsession when we have a busy work schedule and not getting enough of it can be a waking nightmare. Here are some facts about our sleeping habits and the science of sleep.
While sleeping is essential to our health, there isn’t any scientific or functional reasons for it. However, over the years many theories by researchers have emerged about why human beings sleep.
Is it because it allows us to get rid of the stress and toxins accumulated and to reset our brain for the next day? Or is it because it helps us retain memories we deem important while discarding those we think aren’t?
Researchers have also found that sleep might support other bodily functions like releasing growth hormones and allowing the body tissues to repair. It can also be a way to preserve energy at night when finding food in the wild used to be much harder for our ancestors.
Regarding our sleeping habits, studies state that adults need seven to nine hours of sleep. While some people can get by with less sleeping hours, studies have found that we can’t train our body to sleep less because 80% of our need to sleep is genetic.
This doesn’t account to the time spent lying in bed but to the concept of ‘sleep efficiency’. So it doesn’t matter what time we go to bed as long as much as how many efficient hours of sleep we are getting.
Most importantly, people should avoid not getting enough sleep as sleep deprivation when chronic has serious side effects like “paranoia, hallucinations, memory loss, mood swings, and trouble with basic movement”.
