In the past, it was assumed that sleep has no essential importance for humans and is merely an interruption of the daily routine. Today, it is known through numerous scientific studies that sleep is vital for the body and the psyche.
What is sleep actually?
Sleep is far from being a purely passive activity, as has long been assumed. While parts of the body work “on the back burner” during sleep, others are extremely active. During sleep, circulation, breathing and pulse are slowed down. The body reacts more weakly to external stimuli. At the same time, important build-up and breakdown processes take place during sleep. Our brain works at peak performance and processes the experiences of the day. Most people only worry about sleep when it is disturbed. Not without reason, because long-lasting sleep disturbances lead to health and also psychological disorders.
Exploring sleep…
The processes in sleep and thus the knowledge about the importance of sleep for our health has only been researched more intensively in the last decades. Much is still unknown. Scientists agree that sleep is an indispensable basis for development, well-being and health. This is reinforced by a ruling of the European Court of Human Rights. “Healthy sleep is a human right.” – the judges ruled, proving right a Spanish woman who felt disturbed by nighttime disco noise for decades.
Working in alternation of day and night
When people’s work depended on daylight, they slept until the sun rose. When the sun set again, they went to bed. 100 years ago, Thomas Alva Edison invented the electric light bulb and now it was possible to work evenings and nights. Sleep was increasingly regarded as something superfluous, especially since very little was known about sleep at the time. As a result, people increasingly lost the sense of the internal clock in the body.
Sleep and rest
Sleep is not a uniform process. During sleep, we go through different depths of sleep phases, which alternate again and again in the course of the night. Two phases are important for sleep recovery:
- In deep sleep, the body recovers. Here important building blocks are formed, which are important for the maintenance and repair of our organs. Sufficiently long sleep slows aging processes.
- In the so-called dream phase (also called REM phase), the mental recovery takes place.
If the REM phases are missing, this has far-reaching effects. Subjects who were awakened in the sleep laboratory in each REM phase, showed already after two days psychological effects such as depressive and aggressive moods. If REM sleep deprivation extended over several weeks, anxiety and even severe psychosis occurred. Sufficiently long sleep with deep sleep and REM phases is important for healthy sleep. If the sleep profile is disturbed or sleep duration is significantly shortened, sleep loses its restorative function.
Sleep and diseases
A lack of the “staple food” sleep is associated not only with the risk of psychological problems, but also with the risk of physical diseases. Sleep disorders promote inflammation in the body, which in turn is a reason for arteriosclerosis. Consequences of missing or disturbed sleep can also be headaches, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal disorders. Chronic sleep disorders can also lead to insulin resistance and worsened glucose tolerance – factors that promote diabetes.
Sleep and learning
The brain is more active during sleep than when awake. Not only is what is learned anchored in memory. Experiences of the day are also evaluated and unconsciously assigned to our experiences. Constant sleep deprivation reduces memory performance. Tests in which test subjects had to learn vocabulary and were quizzed after different lengths of sleep have confirmed this. So sleep is not only helpful for learning, it is actually necessary for it.
Sleep and the immune system
Our immune system works at full speed during sleep. During sleep, a particularly large number of immune-active substances are released, which increase the immune defense. Infections can be fought best in this way. In studies, a lack of sleep led to a reduced antibody response after just six days. Conversely, sleep is stimulated during infections.Everyone knows this: as soon as we feel the flu coming on, we get tired. During sleep, there is also an increase in natural killer cells and phagocyte activity. So our immune system makes us feel tired so that the increased immune activity due to sleep can take effect.
Sleep and hunger
At night, we can go eight or more hours without eating. The reason: during sleep, the appetite-inhibiting hormone leptin is released. Then, when we are awake, its counterpart – the hormone ghrelin – takes control again and we get hungry again. With chronic sleep deprivation, this balance is disturbed. The appetite-stimulating hormones are increasingly released. People with chronic sleep disorders have a higher body weight for their height. Anyone who has to watch their weight should therefore also make a point of getting enough sleep.
Sleep does good and is healthy
Even though the daily demands are constantly increasing, the body needs sleep to regenerate. The impact of sleep deprivation on our physical and mental performance and health maintenance cannot be underestimated. Therefore, in case of insomnia, the causes should always be clarified by a doctor. Often, simple measures already help to find back to a healthy sleep. In the case of prolonged insomnia, it may be useful to break the cycle of insomnia and restlessness the next day. Here, calming sleeping pills are an option. Your pharmacy will be happy to advise you in the selection of the right sleep aid for you.
