The Importance of Sleep

We’re all familiar with how much better we feel after a good night’s sleep. What’s less well understood is how important a role sleep plays in regulating our body’s major systems, strengthening key processes that fight disease and improve fitness and appearance, and helping us think clearly and make good decisions.

While many of these functions occur in the brain, the restorative and healing processes that happen during sleep extend throughout the entire body, including its muscles, tissues, blood vessels, organs, and immune system. In addition, sleeping has a profound influence on our mental health and emotions. Sleep can help regulate hormones and mood, and contribute to a healthy weight, lower blood pressure, and reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes.

During a normal night’s sleep, the brain goes through several phases: REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, non-REM (“slow” sleep), and deep sleep. Each phase has a unique set of functions and is characterized by distinct changes in brain activity.

While we are asleep, our thoughts move freely, and dreams may be vivid and surreal. Dreams reflect a variety of emotions and experiences from the day, and can be influenced by stressors, such as arguments or negative feelings about our life circumstances. Some people choose to keep a “dream journal” in an attempt to increase dream recall and the possibility of experiencing lucid dreams, in which they are aware they are dreaming.

The brain clears waste and toxins during sleep, and it is in this process that we consolidate memories into long-term memory storage, an essential part of learning. The quality of our cognitive performance also improves with a full night’s sleep, allowing us to maintain attention spans and think more creatively, and make better decisions. Sleep deprivation, however, can lead to difficulty concentrating, memory problems, and decreased mental flexibility.

Getting enough sleep is important for everyone, but it’s especially crucial for children, older adults, and those with chronic health conditions. Insufficient sleep is linked to increased risk of motor vehicle accidents, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, and obesity. It is also a risk factor for certain mental illnesses, such as anxiety and schizophrenia.

Getting the recommended amount of sleep varies from person to person, and it can change during the course of one’s lifetime. However, the most important thing is to go to bed when you’re tired and try to stick to a regular bedtime and wake-up time. Setting a routine and sticking to it can train your brain to think of bedtime as the time for sleep, and over time, you’ll fall into that habit naturally. It’s also a good idea to avoid bright lights and electronic devices, especially around bedtime.