The importance of sleep
Recommendation on the importance of sleep
Sleep, the miracle cure. It makes you smart, efficient, creative, strong and satisfied. It is the cheapest medicine you can take every day. Be careful with it.
Perhaps it is the cheapest type of therapy. But certainly one of the most difficult tasks.
You should sleep well, not too little, not too much. You should avoid late, hearty meals in the evening and intensive exercise. The consumption of blue light and noise from the TV and cell phone reduce the quality of your sleep. The time you go to bed and get up should be as consistent as possible. And it’s best to wake up shortly before the alarm clock rings.
You have probably read and heard one or even all of the recommendations somewhere before. But it’s understandable if it’s almost impossible to follow them all. What do I do if my team sport is from 20.00-21.30 in the evening due to the hall times? How do I explain to my boss if I only order a glass of water for a business lunch? And should I leave my one-year-old child crying in bed when he calls in at 1.00 a.m.?
This means that we cannot follow many rules about sleep at certain stages of our lives. That is a fact.
Influences of sleep
Nevertheless, all of you probably know how nerve-wracking and exhausting the next day at the office or the competition on the pitch can be if we have slept too little and poorly the night before. What else can affect our sleep and impair its quality? Lots of things.
- The hormone testosterone can extend the duration of sleep.
- The female hormone oestrogen can reduce our core body temperature and cause tiredness.
- A lack of physical activity during the day and an unhealthy lifestyle can be reasons for sleep problems and increase the risk of suffering from chronic diseases.
- Taking certain contraceptives can increase the release of melatonin* and lead to earlier bedtimes in the evening.
*Melatonin is a hormone that determines the human day-night rhythm.
So we can and should become aware of certain negative influences of sleep and try not to let it become a habit.
Did you know that:
- … only 5% of the world’s population dream in black and white? Most dreams are actually colorful. However, this is difficult to objectify and the results are based on questionnaires.
- … women tend to have a poorer quality of sleep than men? And that this can be explained by the role of gender and hormones?
If you are more interested in the topic of sleep, I can recommend the book Why we Sleep by Matthew Walker . A little tip: it’s not an easy read.
Why We Sleep is an important and fascinating book…Walker taught me a lot about this basic activity that every person on Earth needs. I suspect his book will do the same for you. Bill Gates
And now: Sleep well!
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Author:
Anneke Penny
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References:
1 Zielinski MR, McKenna JT, McCarley RW. Functions and mechanisms of sleep. AIMS Neurosci. 2016;3(1):67-104.
2 Santhi N, Lazar AS, Mccabe PJ, Lo JC, Groeger JA, Dijk D. Sex differences in the
circadian regulation of sleep and waking cognition in humans. 2016
3 Mallampalli MP, Carter CL. Exploring sex and gender differences in sleep health: A society for women’s health research report. J Women’s Heal. 2014;23(7):553-62.
4 ASA American Sleep Association. What is Sleep and Why is It Important?
5 Sleep Foundation | Trusted Sleep Health Information and Product Reviews. Sleepfoundation.org. (2022). Retrieved April 3, 2022, from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/.
