The Ultimate Hack for Successful Adulting — Sleep!

Sleep is important for an individual's overall health. Just like regular exercise and a balanced diet, sufficient sleep is essential for keeping both body and mind fit and relaxed. Getting good sleep can help reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease, and mental illness. 

A study in India found that sleep deprivation was most common among those aged 31–50, affecting 47.91%. The 16–30 age group also had a significant rate of 31.66%, pointing to chronic sleep deprivation among the Indian youth, likely due to shifting lifestyles.

Dr Sanjay Manchanda, MBBS, New Delhi, adds, “How you sleep decides how healthy you are. It's a non-negotiable part of life. Do not take the problem lightly. Sleep disturbances result in reduced quality of life, depression, memory issues, diabetes, and heart strokes.”

Why do we sleep?

Sleep is a vital function of the body, which gives stability to your body and mind, and, therefore, keeps you alert when you are awake. It is necessary to have adequate sleep to prevent yourself from several diseases. Not getting sufficient sleep will impair your normal brain functioning, resulting in a lack of focus and slow mental processing.

Like many other living species, humans follow a 24-hour cycle of day and night. The biological patterns responsible for maintaining this cycle are called circadian rhythms, and the environment, especially the presence or absence of natural light, largely influences these rhythms. Temperature, mealtime and social interactions are other minor factors influencing these rhythms. At night, in response to darkness, the sleep hormone melatonin is released, which induces sleepiness. Every morning, however, this hormone level drops in response to light exposure.

Understanding your sleep cycle

Sleep is a dynamic and vital process that can be broken down into two main types: Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) and Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. Each type serves a unique role, ensuring we wake up refreshed and ready for the day. 

Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) Sleep is divided into several stages, each contributing to different aspects of restoration:

• N1: This is the lightest stage of NREM, where you transition from being awake to deeper sleep. It’s a brief and delicate phase, making you easily stir if something happens. Think of it as the gateway to more restorative sleep. Movement of the eyes is typically slow. 
• N2: Moving into N2, you enter a deeper, more stable part of sleep. Here, your body becomes less responsive to external disturbances, and brain activity shifts to patterns that aid in memory consolidation. This stage occupies a significant portion of your sleep time and helps solidify what you've learned during the day. Heartbeat and breathing rate slows down at this stage. There is no eye movement.
• N3/N4: Often combined with deep sleep, this stage is crucial for physical restoration. During N3/N4, waking up is notably difficult — your heartbeat and breathing slow to their most relaxed rates. There are no eye movements; the body is fully relaxed, and critical processes like tissue repair, cell regeneration, and immune system strengthening occur.

Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep is the second major type of sleep, characterized by rapid eye movements and vivid dreaming. REM periods start off short but get longer as the night progresses. This stage is crucial for emotional processing, memory consolidation, and creative thinking.

An interesting feature of REM sleep is the loss of muscle tone and reflexes. This paralysis-like state likely serves an important purpose by preventing individuals from physically acting out their dreams or nightmares, ensuring a safe and uninterrupted sleep.

A full night’s sleep typically includes 4 to 5 cycles, each lasting about 90 to 110 minutes. These cycles follow a sequence: N1, N2, N3/N4, N2, and REM. As the night goes on, the REM phases get longer, while deep sleep (NREM) decreases.

Understanding these stages can help you appreciate the complexity of sleep and its importance in keeping your body and mind in top shape.

Functions of sleep

1. Improves memory

Sleep helps to record and organise memories. Inadequate sleep defers memory process and formation. Further, it also assists the brain in improving focus and concentration power.

1. Impacts body weight

Poor sleep makes a person more prone to weight gain, resulting in increased tiredness and subsequently, obesity.

1. Boosts energy

Good sleep is essential for those involved in various sports activities as it enhances brain functioning, resulting in more energy and accuracy in performance.

1. Impacts social behaviour

An individual with enough sleep demonstrates better responses to emotional situations and also sustains good social interactions and family relationships.

1. Reduces inflammation

When a person is asleep, the body in its restful state, starts repairing itself; therefore, insufficient sleep may disrupt the normal inflammatory process of the body.

1. Boosts immunity

Although the true mechanism behind the link between sleep and the immune system remains unclear, several research theories suggest that the body repairs and regenerates during sleep, boosting the immune system's ability to fight infections and diseases.

1. Impacts growth

Sleep induces the release of growth hormones and helps in the development of the body.

1. Improves thinking ability

Sleep regulates an individual's decision-making abilities; healthy sleep helps in recognising risks and aids in making good judgments.

Highlighting the benefits of sleep

1. Stimulates body growth.
2. Assists in maintaining a healthy heart.
3. Reinforces weight management.
4. Strengthens the immune system to combat germs. 
5. Minimises the probability of getting injured and aids in healing. 
6. Escalates the time of observation and focus.
7. Enhances memory and learning abilities.

Risk factors owing to insufficient sleep

Insufficient sleep can increase the risk of various health issues, including:

1. Heart disease
2. Cancerous tumours
3. Illnesses related to the brain, such as stroke and brain aneurysms
4. Accidents
5. Diabetes
6. Sepsis
7. High blood pressure
8. Chronic inflammation

Sleep equals better health and focus

How we feel and how well we can focus at work daily depends on the quantity and quality of our sleep. It's crucial to get enough rest to avoid weight gain, heart disease, and other physical or mental health issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

1) Why is sleep so important for the brain?

Enough sleep is essential for the brain's functioning. Sleep regulates cognitive and memory skills and also repair mechanisms.

2) Why do humans need sleep?

Sleep is essential to maintain a healthy mental and physical state. Lack of sleep can put you at risk of chronic health problems.

3) What are the biggest benefits of sleep?

Sleep plays a significant role in healing and repair mechanisms, reduces stress, and boosts brain power; it also influences weight management.

4) How do you get perfect sleep?

To get perfect sleep, an individual should maintain better sleep hygiene, improve lifestyle habits, avoid stress, and create a positive environment before they go to sleep.

5) What is a more critical sleep habit?

Although sleep may depend on various factors, one ideal way to get peaceful sleep is to maintain and follow a regular sleep schedule and proper eating habits. Turning off blue screens ahead of time is a crucial habit for better sleep.