health tips
What are the benefits of good sleep?
How much sleep is enough? After decades of research, it seems that scientists have gathered enough data to begin answering this question. They report that when sleep duration falls below seven hours a number of different disorders begin to increase. According to the National Sleep Foundation of America, which updated its sleep recommendations, it states that young adults (18-25 years old) and adults (26-64 years old) should get 7-9 hours of sleep but no less than 6 hours or more 10 hours (for adults) or 11 hours (for young adults). Older adults (65 years and older) should get 7-8 hours of sleep but not less than 5 hours or more than 9 hours.
While scientists are still working to identify and clarify all sleep functions, 12 studies confirm that sleep is essential for our healthy functioning and even survival. In fact, one of them states that sleep serves innumerable functions such as the awakening of knowledge, that is, the ability to think clearly, to be attentive, to be alert and to maintain attention. We also know that memories are consolidated during sleep and that sleep plays a key role in emotional regulation. Sleep is much more restorative of wakefulness and health functions when it is integrated, that is, when it goes through the proper normal sequences of non-REM (rapid eye movement) and REM states at night. It happens when human sleep is temporarily programmed by our biological clock. Such a unified sleep usually has a longer duration and better quality of sleep than sleep taken at other times of the day, such as night work, jet lag, etc.
Insomnia, the most common sleep disorder, affects about 1/3 of adults and is the most common condition faced by health professionals. According to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, chronic insomnia is the inability to achieve adequate sleep (despite adequate opportunity) for at least three nights a week for three months or more, with negative consequences during the day. For most people, the disorder is transient, but for about 10% - 15% of those who experience insomnia (approximately 30 million people) it becomes chronic. If a person has been diagnosed with chronic insomnia, the only treatment that has been shown to have long-term benefits is cognitive behavioral therapy, says his research. Kushida. A person may sleep well for several years and then suddenly experience a traumatic event such as job loss, divorce or the death of a loved one, resulting in poor sleep quality. Medications should really be considered short-term therapies, as patients tend to develop dependence or tolerance to hypnotic drugs, while cognitive behavioral therapy aims to achieve good sleep success in the long run.
According to a recent 2018 study by the Arizona School of Medicine, the benefits and effects of good sleep on health are listed:
Weight gain and obesity -
Correlations between sleep duration and obesity have been found. Satisfactory sleep has been shown to help maintain a normal body weight. This is due to regulators
Diabetes and metabolism -
The cross-sectional relationship between poor sleep and diabetes risk is documented. Inadequate sleep has been shown to be associated with a 33% increased risk of developing diabetes. This study is supported by laboratory findings showing that normal sleep loss is associated with risk factors for diabetes, including insulin resistance, adipocyte function, and β-cell function.
Inflammation -
In this case, the chances of inflammation are increased in times when the quality of sleep is not satisfactory.
Cardiovascular disease -
In addition to the increased risk of obesity, diabetes and inflammation, insufficient sleep is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Many studies have found that short sleep duration is associated with hypertension.
Mental health -
Short sleep duration is associated with poor mental health. Sleep disorders are a common diagnostic feature of many mental health disorders. Patients with mood disorders and anxiety disorders often have short sleep duration. Sleep duration has also been identified as a risk factor for suicide.
Cancer -
Biological rhythm disturbances and lack of sleep have been shown to accelerate tumor formation and therefore may increase the risk of cancer. Exposure to light at night reduces the production of melatonin, which can lead to increased production of reproductive hormones. Melatonin has other important properties, including DNA repair, tumor growth inhibition, and its ability to act as a powerful free radical scavenger.
