Importance of Sleep - 4/15/15 by Ali

Do we really need sleep?  I think we can answer that question with a resounding YES!!!!
Why though, our brains don't stop working while we sleep.  It keeps churning away and actually some studies say there a healthy among of brain activity during sleep.

Let's talk about what sleep is..
Sleep is described as time when our bodies slow down and we are in a subconscious state.
There are 2 components of sleep and those are REM and NON- REM sleep.

REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement.

Non- Rem sleep has 4 stages

• Light Sleep - our bodies are winding down, we can easily be awakened in this state
• True Sleep - this is when our breathing slows down and is know to be the longest phase of our sleep cycle.  This normally kicks in 20 mins after we enter light sleep.
• Deep Sleep- when our body is functioning at its slowest.  

REM sleep occurs about 3-5 times during Non-REM sleep.  It tends to start somewhere between 70-90 minutes after falling asleep.
Most of our dreams happen in this stage.  our muscles are more awakened in this phase.  During the rest cycle our bodies are paralyzed so to speak and this is said to be natures way of keeping us from acting out our dreams.  This is the phase where sleepwalkers will walk or possibly even talk.

Those are the basics of sleep, now how does it benefit us??

Improves memory, Increase brain development which help maintain normal levels of cognitive skills like speech and innovative thinking, body repairs itself during sleep, sharpens attention, affects quality of life, helps with weight loss, lowers stress levels which decrease blood pressure, normalizes mood, spurs creativity, improves overall physical performance and curbs inflammation which potentially can cause heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis,and blood levels.
Now if those arent good enough reasons to ensure you are getting the sleep you need, then I don't know what is :)

The amount of sleep each person needs varies.  I think you gauge it based on how you feel.  You should be able to tell the difference when you oversleep versus not getting enough sleep.  If you have any sleep issues related to health consult a physician.

GET YOUR SLEEP My Friends!!
AliMBS
Be Animately Existent