Sleepless nights
We spend almost a third of our lives sleeping. And while it may seem like wasted time, from the moment we fall asleep our bodies are actually completing a great number of tasks. This is why sleep habits are important.
Sleep has a crucial function, it is when our bodies can undergo detoxification and repair. We are recuperating the energy needed to function during the day. Sleep can be defined by two dimensions: quantity (duration) and quality (depth).
Sometimes viewed as the only factor related to sleep insufficiency, the duration of time slept and the number of hours of sleep we need varies with age. As we grow older, we don’t need to spend as much time sleeping. The average number of hours of sleep varies from 14 to 17 hours for newborns aged up to 3 months to just 7 hours for older adults (who are more than 65 years old) as recommended by the national sleepfoundation.
The second factor to take in consideration when reviewing sleep patterns is depth. It takes into account the quality of your sleep. For example: the fragmentation of sleep.
A recent study revealed that one in three adults in Australia isn’t getting enough sleep. And the effects of sleep deprivation should be taken seriously. Today, people’s lives are becoming more and more hectic. There’s always something that needs to be done and people aren’t considering sleep as a priority.
If a person is not sleeping well enough, they may experience symptoms in common with sleep deprivation such as a lack of alertness, impaired memory, stress and an overall lack of energy. Studies also found a link between sleep deprivation and obesity rates or other chronic diseases such as diabetes.
The effects of sleep deprivation vary slightly when talking about teenagers. Teenagers who suffer from sleep insufficiency are more likely to have problems with impulse control which results in risk-taking behaviours. A study also revealed that students who get better grades sleep an average of half an hour more than students who normally get lower grades. It has been found that later start times at school result in higher grades.
Clotilde C