Why do we sleep?
Why we sleep, part one. Sleep is a natural bodily process that is essential for humans. But what do we know about sleep, sleep disorders? What are the phases of sleep? How long do you really need to sleep? What is REM (rapid-eye movement) sleep? We’ll cover all this in a series of three articles, answering many of the questions that have been plaguing many of you.
Sleep is essential for the human body to renew itself, process new information, get rid of toxins, and reorganize nerve cells, which keeps the brain healthy and helps you stay healthy. These processes are irreplaceable and essential to our overall well-being and quality of life. It is therefore not surprising that a person sleeps between a quarter and a third of his or her entire life.
Sleep theories
The first theory of why we sleep
Claims that sleep is needed to save energy. During sleep, the body’s metabolic rate decreases, so that a person who sleeps for 8 hours can save about 35% of the day’s energy by waking up fully.
The second theory of why we sleep
The restorative theory, which states that the body needs sleep for cell renewal and growth. Sleep helps muscles recover, protein synthesis, tissue growth and hormone release.
The third theory of why we sleep
Brain plasticity. She argues that sleep is necessary for brain function, i.e. it reorganizes our neurons and nerve cells and removes the toxic by-products that build up during the day. It is also said that sleep affects our memory, turning short-term memories into long-term ones, erasing and forgetting unnecessary information that could disrupt the nervous system. Sleep affects many brain functions – memory, learning, problem-solving, concentration and creativity.
The fourth theory of why we sleep
Emotional well-being – The fourth theory states that sleep is essential for emotional health. Sleep has been shown to increase brain activity in areas that regulate emotions, thus maintaining emotional stability and good brain function. When we get enough sleep, our brains can react more easily to a stressful situation, controlling our response, but when we don’t get enough sleep, our bodies can react more strongly to a stressful situation, and when we are severely sleep-deprived, we can react inappropriately to the same stressful situation. Research shows that why we sleep and mental health are closely linked – sleep disturbances can contribute to the onset and progression of mental problems, but mental problems can also disrupt a person’s restful sleep.
The fifth theory of why we sleep
Sleepis essential for weight maintenance. Sleep controls the hunger hormones ghrelin, which increases appetite, and leptin, which increases satiety. During sleep, ghrelin is reduced because we use less energy than when we wake up, so we don’t get hungry during the night. However, sleep deprivation increases ghrelin and decreases leptin release, which makes us feel hungry and eat more food than usual. Just five nights of insufficient sleep increases the risk of weight gain, metabolic disorders and type 2 diabetes.
The sixth theory of why we sleep
Sleep for immunity – During sleep, the human body produces protein cytokines that fight infection and inflammation, as well as antibodies and immune cells that work together to protect the body from disease by resisting germs. Sleep is therefore extremely important when we are ill or stressed, as it allows the body to produce more antibodies, immune cells and proteins that will help the body to fight off illness and deal with the effects of stress.
The seventh theory of why we sleep
Sleep for heart health. Researchers are trying to establish the link between heart disease and poor sleep, which is obvious, but the specific factors behind this link have not yet been identified. However, it has long been established that an adult needs at least 7 hours of sleep a night, and that if you are stressed or have mental health problems, you should get more sleep. Sleeping less, with insufficient sleep, increases the risk of heart disease.
All the theories are valid and highly plausible, but we would probably not be wrong to say that they are all true and work together. Sleep is the way to feel good every day!
This is the first part of this article
Read about sleep:
Stages of sleep – what happens in the body when we sleep?
Sleep deprivation, why is it harmful?
Article written by the Magu Space team