12 reasons why sleep heals

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12 reasons why sleep heals

By Rajen M

Sleep is the natural state of rest observed in the animal kingdom. It is seen in all mammals and birds, and in many reptiles, amphibians and fish.

In humans, other mammals, and a substantial majority of other animals, regular sleep is necessary for survival. While sleep is essential for survival, it remains a mystery. Where is consciousness while you sleep?

When you understand the benefits it confers, you will easily appreciate that laughter is not the best medicine - sleep is! Unlike sleep, laughter is only seen in humans and some primates.

In 1913, French Scientist Henri Pieron authored a book entitled Le probleme physiologique du sommeil. It was the first text to examine sleep from a physiological perspective. This work is usually regarded as the beginning of the modern approach to sleep research.

Dr Nathaniel Kleitman, now known as the "Father of American sleep research," began work in Chicago in the 1920s questioning the regulation of sleep and wakefulness and of circadian rhythms. Kleitman's crucial work included studies of sleep characteristics in different populations and the effect of sleep deprivation. In 1953 he and one of his students, Dr Eugene Aserinsky, made the landmark discovery of rapid eye movement (REM) during sleep.

In the past, the benefits of sleep were often ignored. We are just beginning to understand the importance of sleep to overall health and well-being. In fact, when people get less than six or seven hours of sleep each night, their risk for developing diseases begins to increase (read more).

Here is a list of some of them:

1. Your heart will be healthier if you get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. This helps relax the internal systems and dampen any stress of the day before.

2. People working the late shift have a higher risk for breast and colon cancer. Researchers believe this link is caused by differing levels of melatonin in people who are exposed to light at night.

Light exposure reduces the level of melatonin, a hormone that both makes us sleepy and is thought to protect against cancer. Melatonin appears to suppress the growth of tumors. Be sure that your bedroom is dark to help your body produce the melatonin it needs.

3. Stress is also caused by sleep deficiency. It gets worse if the stress is prolonged. The body's functions are put on high alert. This causes an increase in blood pressure and an increase in the production of stress hormones.

4. The stress hormones also, unfortunately, make it harder for you to sleep. You are in a dangerous loop. Stress hormones when they increase disproportionately can also severely disrupt delicate hormonal balances which speed up disease processes and the aging process.

5. Alertness is the result of a good night's sleep. Sleep energises you. Being active increases your chances of another good night's sleep. It is not just you being alert. All your internal systems like your immune systems are also more alert and alive.

6. Memory consolidation occurs during sleep. While your body may be resting, your brain is busy processing your day, making connections between events, sensory input, feelings and memories. Your dreams and deep sleep are an important time for your brain to make memories and links. Getting more quality sleep will help you remember and process things better.

7. Sleep also helps to lose weight. People with less than seven hours of sleep per night are more likely to put on weight. It seems that the lack of sleep impacts the balance of hormones in the body that affect appetite. The hormones ghrelin and leptin, important for the regulation of appetite, have been found to be disrupted by lack of sleep.

8. Napping during the day is not only an effective and refreshing alternative to caffeine, it can also protect your health and make you more productive. A study of 24,000 Greek adults showed that people who napped several times a week had a lower risk for dying from heart disease.

9. People who nap at work have much lower levels of stress. Napping also improves memory, cognitive function and mood. Daytime naps, what is sometimes called "power naps", was the success secret of president Ronald Reagan.

10. Sleep reduces your risk of depression. Sleep affects many of the chemicals in your body, including serotonin. People with a deficiency in serotonin are more likely to suffer from depression. You can help to prevent depression by making sure you are getting the right amount of sleep. Indeed, difficulty in falling asleep and staying asleep is one of the causes of depression.

11. Sleep heals. Everything slows or shuts down. Sleep is a time for your body to repair damage caused by stress, ultraviolet rays and other harmful exposures. It is time to remove toxins accumulated during the day. It is time to "sort out" memories of the day.

12. Your cells produce more protein while you are sleeping. These molecules form the building blocks for cells, allowing them to repair damage. Sleep heals a headache or a common cold.

It is easy to fall asleep and it cost nothing. You have to sleep everyday. It is healthy for you.

This article was first published in New Straits Times under the headline 'Sleep heals'.