Understanding Sleep

Sleep is a state of rest for the body and mind, in which consciousness is partially or fully lost. We spend a third of our lives sleeping though we tried our best to cut the hours to as little as possible. People vary to the hours they need to sleep or better put as the hours they choose to sleep. Figures like Napoleon and Margaret Thatcher were happy with four hours of sleep while some of us need more.



It is often claimed that sleep will help the body to rejuvenate from the day’s activities. However sleep researches have shown that the amount of energy saved is merely as much as 50kCal- the energy in a piece of toast! So why do we sleep anyway? Perhaps Thomas Edison is right, sleep is just a waste of time.



Why Do We Sleep?



It is a question that has baffled scientists for centuries and surprisingly, no one knows exactly why do we sleep.



The way to look at it is to know what are the sleep deprivation effects. When you continuously don’t get the amount of sleep you need, you will suffer symptoms such as daytime drowsiness, trouble concentrating, increased risk of falls and accidents, and lower productivity.



Sleep deprivation also gives impact to motor skills to an extent enough to be similar to driving while drunk! Based on the statistic, 100,000 accidents and 1500 deaths each year are caused by driver fatigue.



Basically, sleep is an essential time of rest which benefits our minds and bodies in many ways. It plays a significant role in maintaining the normal levels of cognitive skills such as the memory, speech, innovating and flexible thinking.



Have you ever burned the midnight candle to study for you final exam, only to find that you can hardly remember anything when answering your papers? This simply helps us understand the importance of sleep to our brain system. It helps to coordinate memories, solidify learning and enhance concentration.



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