When you think about love, it can be a very powerful emotion. Some people define it as romantic love between two individuals, but you can also feel this feeling toward friends and family, pets, the universe, God, or yourself. It’s said to be one of the happiest feelings in life, but it can also be one of the most painful when you lose it or don’t get what you want from it.

What is love, really? It’s an enlightening, empowering force that can make you feel compassion, patience, and empathy for others. It can help you endure challenges, work hard, and make sacrifices to see your loved ones succeed and thrive.

It can also be a very powerful drive to keep you going through tough times and to push yourself to achieve your goals and dreams. Some people may say they’re in love with their work or even a hobby, which can also be a form of love that makes them happy.

Throughout history, philosophers, religious figures, and authors have debated about what love actually is. More recently, scientists and psychologists have studied it. The study of love is an important part of anthropology, biology, and neuroscience, and it’s often seen as an essential human emotion.

Some people believe that there are many different types of love, and some of these include interpersonal, unrequited, sexy, and spiritual. However, most psychologists agree that there are a few basic types of love.

Companionate love is a feeling of attachment and affection between close friends or family members. It’s a bond that can be nurtured through a variety of activities, such as sharing experiences, spending time together, and supporting each other when needed.

Sexual love is a powerful, intense feeling of attraction and excitement for another person. It’s generally accompanied by physical symptoms, such as a dry mouth, butterflies in the stomach, and weak knees. It can also be a powerful motivating force, such as the desire to win someone’s love through acts of affection.

Unconditional love is a strong, positive feeling of acceptance and forgiveness of another person, even when they make mistakes. It can also be a sense of support and encouragement for someone when their choices cause distress or harm.

When you’re in love with someone, you often want to take care of them and help them feel good about themselves. You’re probably also more willing to give them a hug or listen to them vent when they’re having problems. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship, and you’ll both learn about yourself and grow as a result of it.

When it comes to human health, few factors are as undervalued and misunderstood as sleep. Once considered a period of dormancy, it’s now known to be an active process that plays key roles in memory, learning, emotions, and even regulating the immune system against common illnesses like the common cold. Sleep is so important, in fact, that experts devote their entire lives to understanding its mysterious workings.

The science of sleep is constantly evolving, and we’re still uncovering some of its most intriguing secrets. In 1953, physiologists Eugene Aserinsky and Nathaniel Kleitman made the revolutionary discovery that rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is distinct from other sleeping stages and is characterized by brain patterns more nearly aligned with activated wakefulness. Their finding upended the prevailing view of sleep as a state of recuperative deactivation and ushered in a new era of research into the role of sleep in the body and mind.

A good night’s sleep can boost your mental performance, allowing you to think clearly and make decisions. It’s also been shown to improve your ability to pay attention and be creative. Studies have also linked sleep to the formation of new pathways in the brain that help you learn and remember information. Insufficient sleep can have the opposite effect, causing you to struggle with making decisions, dealing with change, and controlling your emotions.

When you are deficient in sleep, your physical functioning is impacted as well. You can develop heart problems, high blood pressure, and diabetes, and you may have difficulty concentrating on work or school tasks. You can even become irritable and prone to mood swings.

The immune system depends on sleep to maintain its protective abilities against infections. During sleep, your body produces special proteins and cells that detect and destroy germs and other harmful substances. In addition, the cells that support the immune system can learn to recognize and respond quickly to these invaders the next time they come into contact with them.

Several recent studies have found that people who get sufficient sleep are less likely to have heart disease, and the effects are comparable to those of regular exercise, a healthy diet, moderate alcohol consumption, and non-smoking. This makes sleep one of the “Life’s Simple 7”—a group of health habits that the American Heart Association recommends for maintaining a lower risk for cardiovascular disease.

How much sleep you need varies from person to person, but most experts agree that adults should aim for seven or more hours per night. Incorporate sleep into your daily routine by establishing a consistent bedtime and setting a reasonable alarm clock. Create a calming bedroom environment by dimming bright lights and using a white noise app or a relaxing bedtime ritual. Sleeping with your phone on or nearby can be disruptive, so you should set it aside at least an hour before bed.