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Understanding sleep

20 Aug 2022

By Rukayya Zamroon Ah, sleep. While most kids don’t look forward to their bedtime, others would give anything for five more minutes of it. Sleep is an essential part of your daily routine. It is said that you spend about one-third of your time doing it. Getting enough sleep is extremely important for our survival. Without sleep, you will find it harder to concentrate and focus on your tasks throughout the day, and your brain will find it harder to form or maintain pathways that let you learn or create new memories. Lack of sleep will result in many unhealthy conditions like high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and preventing your immune system from building up its forces. It can also result in drops in mood and can lead to major episodes of fatigue and depression. Sleep is important for many brain functions, including how your neurons (nerve cells) communicate with one another. You’d expect your brain and body to be incredibly relaxed during sleep, but that’s not the case. In fact, they are extremely active during sleep. Research shows that sleep plays a major role in removing toxins in your brain that build up when you are awake. Types of sleep There are two types of sleep – NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. There are four stages of sleep, the first three being NREM sleep and the final one being REM sleep. Stage one (NREM): This is the changeover from being awake to falling asleep. This period lasts for several minutes of relatively light sleep, where your heartbeat, your breathing, and your eye movements start to slow. Your brain activities begin to slow from daytime wakefulness, and your muscles begin to relax (with slight twitches). It is very easy for someone to wake up in this stage of sleep, but as long as they are not disturbed, they can move on to a deeper sleep in stage two. Stage two (NREM): In this stage, your body enters a more subdued state including a drop in temperature, slowed breathing, relaxed muscles, and slowed heart rate. Your eye movements stop. Brain activity slows but is marked by brief bursts of electrical activity that help resist being woken up by external stimuli. Stage two of sleep can happen from 10-25 minutes during the first sleep cycle, and each stage can become longer during the night. It is said that a person typically spends half their sleep time in stage two sleep. Stage three (NREM): Stage three sleep is also known as deep sleep. It is harder to wake someone up at this stage. Your body relaxes even further, and this is when your heart rate and breathing slow to their lowest levels in your sleep cycle. This sleep allows bodily recovery and growth and boosts your immune system and other processes. Deep sleep also contributes to your brain’s insightful thinking and memory. This is the kind of sleep that makes you feel refreshed when you wake up in the morning. This stage occurs in longer periods during the first half of the night, but its stages get shorter as you continue sleeping. Stage four (REM sleep): This first occurs about 90 minutes after you fall asleep. Your eyes move rapidly behind your eyelids. Your brain activity picks up and becomes closer to that seen in wakefulness. Your breathing becomes faster and irregular, and your heart rate and blood pressure increase to near waking levels. Most of your dreaming occurs during REM sleep. Your muscles become temporarily paralysed, preventing you from acting out your dreams. As you age, you spend less of your sleep time in REM sleep. Babies initially sleep for 16 to 18 hours per day, children and teens on average need about 9.5 hours of sleep per night, and most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night. However, after the age of 60, nighttime sleep tends to become shorter and lighter, and can easily be interrupted by multiple external stimuli. In general, people get less sleep due to extended work hours and the availability of all kinds of entertainment and activities. You may think you can catch up on your missed sleep during the weekends when you are free but given your lack of sleep, this may not suffice. You cannot be ignorant of what your body needs to survive; sleep is a vital part of your health, and it needs to be prioritised. Some tips that might help Stick to a sleep schedule – Set aside at least eight hours of sleep and make sure to complete all your tasks and pending work before then or save the extended work for a time when you are free and can concentrate on completing them. Go to bed at the same time every day, including weekends. Being consistent reinforces your body’s sleep-wake cycle. Pay attention to what you eat – Don’t go to bed hungry or full. Avoid heavy meals before sleeping, but make sure you do not go to bed starving. Being full or hungry when going to sleep will cause discomfort and will keep you up. Nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine need to be avoided as well. Nicotine and caffeine have stimulating effects on your body and will interfere with your sleep. Alcohol might make you sleepy at first but will eventually disrupt your sleep. Use fresh linen and bedspreads – Going to sleep on dirty linen can make you feel extremely uncomfortable and unclean. Make sure you change your linen every week so that you are confident you’re going to sleep clean. Doing this can also result in other beneficial factors, like assuring you don’t get breakouts or rashes that irritate your skin. Create a calm and relaxing environment – Make sure your room temperature is set at a comfortable level, and there is no exposure to light or sound. Exposure to light makes it difficult to fall asleep, and too much noise will make you incredibly uncomfortable and upset. Perhaps play some soft and calming music if you feel unnerved, and use scents that help with better sleep, like lavender, rose, or chamomile. —--- Concluding paragraph If you suspect that you are suffering from sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or restless legs syndrome, it is advised you seek professional help from a doctor to find treatments or medication to help you sleep better. Sleep is a vital part of your life and should not be taken lightly; everyone deserves a good night’s sleep. PHOTOS © STOCK PHOTO, ISTOCKPHOTO, DEPOSITPHOTOS

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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!


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