Why sleep is important for inner peace and better health

People spend a third of their lives sleeping. During childhood it is a common wish to stay up all night, read books in a blanket fort, play toy wars, organize theatre for pets or do something else, just as exciting. However, even then the need to sleep makes itself known, next afternoon at the latest. Why sleep when we could do cool stuff all day long? Why do we become sleepy? Why should we exercise mindful horizontal disconnection from the rest of the world for at least 8 hours every day to contribute to our mental and physical wellbeing? Let’s see.

Shawn Stevensson, author of the book “Sleep Smarter”, tells us this: “Trying to define sleep is similar to defining life. Nobody fully understands it, and, when you try to explain, then you sound more like Forrest Gump with his ‘life is like a box of chocolates’ than a decent scientist.” But, if seriously, it’s not at all that difficult: sleep is a natural state created by our nervous system, a state when the body rests, renews, and replenishes energetic and functional reserves of the tissues.

Humans are not the only ones who need to sleep. Animals sleep as well, besides different animals require different amounts of time in order to be able to function well. Giraffes have enough with just 1.9 hours a day, brown bats need no less than 19.9 hours. Human beings are somewhere in the middle between those two regarding the amount of daily sleep needed.

Regardless of the fact that all living creatures need to sleep, humans are the only mammal who can knowingly postpone falling asleep to a later time. Such a decision, even if understandable in the nowadays environment of a very demanding world, is not healthy. The World Health Organization in 2017 declared a ”sleeplessness epidemic” because research shows that two thirds of adults sleep less than 8 hours daily on average.

Live longer. Be more creative. Look better. Enhance memory. Maintain an optimal weight and eat less junk food. Be protected from cancer and avoid running nose or even flu, lessen the risk of potential heart disease and diabetes. Feel more happy, less depressed and less anxious. If scientists came forward with a medicine that fulfills all those promises, many people wouldn’t believe and many others would spend millions to get this medicine. But there is already something that can aid you in reaching all the qualities mentioned before. You probably guessed right, yes, it is a proper night’s sleep.

Do you still want to postpone sleeping until moment when you will have done everything on your daily to-do list? Is the full laundry basket or another episode of your favourite TV show worth your health?

Matthew Walker, doctor of science, in his book “Why Do We Sleep?” tells us that the positive influence of a good night’s sleep is proven through more than 17 thousand scientific experiments. That is why we can be absolutely sure that sleep is not something plain and simple. It is a series of complex and carefully planned metabolic processes that maintains and renews several important brain functions and more. Besides, it is not enough with a 15-minute nap, the processes that take place during sleep are set up in several stages, and each of those helps with different functions of our body.

There will be people who will ask, well, what is the secret to sleeping well? The recipe is not carved in stone, just as the recipe to life itself. Some advice is well proven, but other tips make opinions differ. 

Any sleep specialist will tell you that using a smartphone before sleep is not helping because the blue light of the screen does everything in its powers to wake you up. You probably shouldn’t make a habit out of drinking coffee or green tea in late afternoon. If you would be asking about when to go to sleep, you can choose depending on whether you feel like a morning or night person, but it is important to go to bed on the same time every day. Also, you can try to open window before sleep because it is easier to rest if the surrounding environment is around 17-18 C. Many find weighted blankets a great helper in sleeping more peacefully. 

We advise you to explore the world of sleep yourselves, gather some information and listen to your feelings. And then, sleep tight!

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