‘Sleep is the best meditation’ ~ Dalai Lama.

Many of us overlook the fact that sleep is the number one resource of energy, restoration, and strength for the human body. In Western cultures, shortening up total sleep time and waking up early or sleeping very late has become the new norm.

The truth is, as adults, we all need on average of 8 hours of sleep daily or we compromise emotional and physical health.

How can sleep benefit the mind and body? 

Did you know that when you get adequate sleep or just the right amount that your body needs, your memory improves, you gain strength against depression, and your body also burns fat?

Yes, all of these things happen while you are asleep.

This is how it happens:

Sleep mostly consists of two stages: REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and SW (Slow-wave).

Both stages differ from each other by these two main factors;

1. The ability to wake up

2. The responsiveness to outside forces

During sleep, these two stages alternate. The SW stage is usually considered to be the most restorative sleep. This stage is when we sleep deeply, and it is harder to wake up.

This stage is also where the body burns fat. During our lifetime, the SW stage eventually decreases over time. In other words, as we get older, we experience less SW sleep.

On the other hand, the REM stage is where we have memorable and vivid dreams. Some neuroscientists such as Antti Revonsuo and Patrick McNamara also suggest that REM is a learning stage. It is considered rehearsing real-life events in dreams and producing considerable solutions to these events.

Additionally, during the SW stage, the mind preserves the information we gather during the day, and the REM stage incorporates this information into the current experiences. This is called ‘memory consolidation’ according to researchers. During our sleep, short-term memory transitions into long-term memory.

Another miracle that happens during sleep is, we become aware of our emotions and tensions according to many dream experts. Dreams surface everyday emotions that we subconsciously hide otherwise.

to sum up

In short, sleep is the source of our mind and body’s strength. While the physical body restores, the mind also organizes new information and existing information. Sleep is a way of releasing unnecessary information from the subconscious mind.

The subconscious mind surfaces anxieties, negative emotions, or worries via dreams. This is why sometimes we wake up with very powerful emotions. These emotions are usually what the subconscious mind is trying to release. When these emotions and symbols in the dreams are recognized, some of the issues that we experience in daily life can be resolved.

What happens when sleep deprived?

In the modern-day, sleep is considered something compromisable due to work, social life, or even for personal preferences. However, sleep should always be the priority in every possible way because of all the facts discussed above.

For example, many people work long hours because of their work schedules and don’t realize that they actually need a full night of sleep to be able to do their best at work. Lack of sleep affects focus, mood, energy, and even the brain works.

Effects of sleep deprivation

Obviously, sleep deprivation has many negative effects on our bodies. One of the most alarming ones is heart disease. Individuals who sleep on average of 5 hours or less routinely, have an increased risk of developing or dying from cardiovascular disease by 45 percent according to a 2011 study.

Every time you don’t get enough sleep the pressure in veins goes up eventually increasing the blood pressure level. Even losing 1-2 hours of sleep a day will increase the chances of this happening.

According to an Australian study, driving sleep deprived is just as dangerous as driving drunk. In the study, half of the participants were sleep-deprived for 19 hours and the other half were given alcohol enough to make them legally drunk. Both groups were given a concentration test and the results show that the sleep-deprived group did just as poorly as the drunk group.

Findings

To be able to maximize our potential, and gain emotional and hormonal strength, the human body needs an average of 8 hours of sleep. When you don’t sleep enough, you carry on the stress and worries to the next day resulting in an emotional build-up.

You become more vulnerable to phobias, fears, depression, and panic attacks. Just by getting enough sleep every night, you can cope with mental health problems more effectively and you can regulate inner conflicts more.