Introduction to Sleep Health
Sleeping is something that we all do every night of our lives, well, most nights at least. We may feel great when we wake up, or we may feel as though we barely slept at all. Sleep is a crucial bodily function that allows our bodies to rest for the following day of activity. Throughout the evening, our bodies cycle through non-REM and REM stages of sleep. Healthy sleep can influence our day in a variety of ways, and what we do during the day can impact that night's sleep quality.
A few interesting facts about sleep:
A few interesting facts about sleep:
- Human beings are the only mammals that intentionally delay their sleep.
- Snoring disrupts the sleep of roughly 90 million American adults.
- A person could have an increased appetite due to not having enough sleep.
- Divorced, widowed and separated people report more insomnia.
Sleep health is important because it influences a variety of factors in our daily lives. We could have a change in mood, increased hunger, drowsiness, and general disassociation if we have poor quality sleep. However, we can also experience great benefits if we maintain a healthy level of sleep.
Sleep is especially important for college students. We have a constant work load, and trying to balance that with a healthy social life, can hamper our sleep habits. It is crucial that students have a healthy sleep habit with the amount of work that we have to do. Healthy sleep habits can increase alertness and our ability to focus, as well as give us the energy to get everything done during the day, so that we can hopefully get a good night's sleep. You might find great benefits in your school life with a healthy sleep schedule!
References:
https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-news/25-random-facts-about-sleep
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4075951/
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/sleep/healthy_sleep.pdf
I agree 100% with this! Sleep is so important! I found in interesting that we are the only mammals to delay sleep. I suppose that is one thing we could learn from an animal. I also didn't know that a lack of sleep could cause you to be more hungry. Looking back of the past week the days that I didn't get more then 4 or 5 hours of sleep I did tend to eat a lot more. Something for me to think about for sure and another reason to make sure I get plenty of sleep!
ReplyDeleteLooking through which topic I should comment on, I thought sleep health would relate to me the most. You are very true about how college students struggle with sleep the most. Sleep is what gives us the right amount of energy each day and lack of sleep can cause you not to properly function.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I thought it was very informative, as well as important. I really do think that many people today sort of underestimate how powerful sleep is, and in turn, do not get enough sleep. I agree with everything you say here that basically, you need sleep to live. It is responsible for so many bodily functions and maintaining health. We all know how it feels to not have enough sleep, and let me tell you, those days are some of the hardest days to get through!
ReplyDeleteI really like your organization of this post. I like how you related it back to us college kids saying that yeah sleep is very important, but we have many things to manage around sleep like a social life, school, and many other things. Getting in a routine is very important also to keep you feeling refreshed after your nights sleep. Also it not only affects our bodies but also our mood and diet which could also cause problems with our mental and physical health.
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