- What happens if you don't sleep well
- How long should sleep last
- Because little naps are not enough
- Strategies for better sleep
It is very important to sleep because it is during sleep that the body regains energy, optimizes metabolism and regulates the function of hormones that are essential for the functioning of the body, such as growth hormone.
While we sleep, memory consolidation occurs, allowing for better learning and performance at school and at work. In addition, it is mainly during sleep that body tissues are repaired, facilitating wound healing, muscle recovery and strengthening the immune system.
Thus, a good night's sleep is recommended to prevent serious diseases, such as anxiety, depression, Alzheimer's and premature aging. However, to get a regular sleep, it is recommended to adopt some habits such as always sleeping at the same time, avoiding leaving the TV on and maintaining a dark environment. Check out our tips on what to do to sleep well.
What happens if you don't sleep well
The lack of adequate rest, especially when several nights of sleep are lost or when it is routine to sleep little, causes problems such as:
- Decreased memory and learning; Changes in mood; Risk of developing psychiatric illnesses such as depression and anxiety; Increased inflammation in the body; Increased risk of accidents due to decreased ability to react quickly; Delayed growth and development of the body; Weakening of the immune system; Changes in glucose processing and, as a consequence, weight gain and diabetes; Gastrointestinal disorders.
In addition, poor sleep is also linked to an increased risk of developing obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer. People who sleep less than 6 hours a day are almost 5 times more likely to have a stroke.
How long should sleep last
It is not recommended to sleep less than 6 hours a day. However, the amount of adequate sleep per day varies from person to person due to several factors, one of which is age, as shown in the following table:
| Age | Sleep time |
| 0 to 3 months | 14 to 17 hours |
| 4 to 11 months | 12 to 15 hours |
| 1 to 2 years | 11 to 14 hours |
| 3 to 5 years | 10 to 13 hours |
| 6 to 13 years | 9 to 11 hours |
| 14 to 17 years | 8 to 10 hours |
| 18 to 64 years | 7 to 9 hours |
| 65 years or older | 7 to 8 hours |
These hours of sleep are necessary to maintain physical and mental health, and it is important to remember that people who suffer from chronic insomnia are at increased risk of diseases linked to brain malfunction, such as dementia and memory loss. See 7 Tricks to improve memory effortlessly.
See what time you should wake up or go to sleep to get a good night's sleep using the following calculator:
Because little naps are not enough
Taking naps during the day, or sleeping a few hours at night, are not enough to maintain good health, as sleep needs to go through 5 stages:
- Phase 1: lasts about 15 minutes and is characterized by the process of falling asleep, when the muscles start to relax and the brain is not yet completely disconnected, so the person can easily wake up to a stimulus; Phase 2: it is the phase of lighter sleep, when the heart and respiratory rate decrease and the body temperature starts to fall. It lasts about 10 to 20 minutes; Phase 3: the body starts to go into deep sleep, the metabolism slows down and all the organs work more slowly. It is at this stage that the greatest amount of growth hormone is produced; Phase 4: it is the phase of deep sleep, when the body really begins to replenish its energies, recover the health of cells and produce hormones linked to growth; REM phase : in this phase dreams occur and the brain retains important information received during the day and eliminates the memory considered unnecessary.
Thus, dreaming is an important indicator that memory is working well, and when a night's sleep is interrupted in half, it is likely that the next night will also be troubled, as the body cannot correctly follow the phases of sleep.
Strategies for better sleep
To sleep better, you should avoid drinking coffee and consuming products with caffeine after 5 pm, such as green tea, cola and chocolate sodas, as caffeine prevents tiredness signals from reaching the brain, indicating that it is time to sleep.
In addition, you should have a routine to lie down and get up, respecting work and rest times, and creating a calm and dark environment at bedtime, as this stimulates the production of the hormone melatonin, which is responsible for the arrival of sleep. In some cases of sleep disorders, it may be necessary to take melatonin capsules to help you sleep better.
Check out some tricks confirmed by science to sleep better:
