"Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep" is an active undertaking, not a passive one When you lay your body down for a night's sleep, you're not really resting -- you're just working your brain instead of your body.
During your sleep time you will pass repeatedly -- every hour-and-a-half to two hours -- through five stages of sleep.
It is during this time that your brain conducts "maintenance and upkeep" operations which, among other things, keep you sane.
The memories of the things you've done today are integrated during sleep into all the other memories you have of days past.
When you fail to get enough sleep, this maintenance and upkeep isn't properly accomplished and you begin to suffer from the effects of sleep deprivation.
How much sleep do you need? That's a good question.
Actually, it's a lot like the question "How long is a string?" Before you can answer about the length of a string, you need to know which particular, specific string you're talking about.
How much sleep you need is similar in that the answer varies for each particular, specific individual you're talking about.
Some people need five or six hours of sleep each night.
Others may need ten to 12 hours.
Infants, on average, will need about 16 hours per day.
On average, most teenagers need nine hours, adults usually need 7 to 8 hours, and some few people only need five or six hours.
You'll also need more sleep if you're in the early stages of pregnancy or if you've missed sleep in the past day or two.
The amount of sleep your body thinks it needs is, in fact, just what it needs.
If it needs eight hours a night and you go a few nights with only six, you're body's going to demand that you "repay" this debt by sleeping longer hours for the necessary number of nights.
Meanwhile, you're in a sleep deprived state and may find yourself having slower reaction times, poorer judgment, and "drifting off" at odd moments.
Sleep deprivation is not something you want to encourage or accept.
What are the effects of sleep deprivation? Sleep experts are generally in agreement that if you feel drowsy during the day you haven't had enough sleep.
Or if it's normal for you to fall asleep within five minutes of lying down, you're probably suffering from degree of sleep deprivation.
It may be so severe as to constitute a sleep disorder.
Sleep deprivation is, beyond question, dangerous.
Tests have shown that if you're sleep deprived you'll perform tasks as poorly as someone who is intoxicated on alcohol.
Unfortunately, complete teetotalers who wouldn't dream of driving drunk sometimes drive so sleep deprived that they might as well be drunk.
And if you do drink while you're in a sleep-deprived condition, the problems only multiply! The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 100,000 automobile accidents -- and 1,500 deaths -- are caused or exacerbated each year by sleep deprivation.
Coffee or other stimulants cannot and will not overcome the effects of sleep deprivation.
You are too drowsy to drive safely if you can't stop yawning, if you have problems keeping your eyes focused, or if you can't remember the last few miles you've driven.
If you find yourself feeling drowsy while driving, stop driving.
Sleep Disorders About 40 million people in the United States (about 2 percent of us) suffer from severe sleep disorders such as insomnia, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, and sleep apnea.
Each of these interferes with your sleep.
Each of these, therefore, interferes with your brain's maintenance & upkeep operations.
Each of these, therefore, can result in you doing the moral equivalent of driving drunk.
They can leave you disoriented, unable to focus, and unable to make sound decisions about your life and responsibilities.
If you suspect that you have a severe sleep disorder you should take immediate steps -- including consulting with your doctor -- to ensure that your brain is getting enough sleep each and every night.
Failure to get enough sleep isn't just inconvenient, it's downright dangerous! Copyright (c) William Johnson 2008
During your sleep time you will pass repeatedly -- every hour-and-a-half to two hours -- through five stages of sleep.
It is during this time that your brain conducts "maintenance and upkeep" operations which, among other things, keep you sane.
The memories of the things you've done today are integrated during sleep into all the other memories you have of days past.
When you fail to get enough sleep, this maintenance and upkeep isn't properly accomplished and you begin to suffer from the effects of sleep deprivation.
How much sleep do you need? That's a good question.
Actually, it's a lot like the question "How long is a string?" Before you can answer about the length of a string, you need to know which particular, specific string you're talking about.
How much sleep you need is similar in that the answer varies for each particular, specific individual you're talking about.
Some people need five or six hours of sleep each night.
Others may need ten to 12 hours.
Infants, on average, will need about 16 hours per day.
On average, most teenagers need nine hours, adults usually need 7 to 8 hours, and some few people only need five or six hours.
You'll also need more sleep if you're in the early stages of pregnancy or if you've missed sleep in the past day or two.
The amount of sleep your body thinks it needs is, in fact, just what it needs.
If it needs eight hours a night and you go a few nights with only six, you're body's going to demand that you "repay" this debt by sleeping longer hours for the necessary number of nights.
Meanwhile, you're in a sleep deprived state and may find yourself having slower reaction times, poorer judgment, and "drifting off" at odd moments.
Sleep deprivation is not something you want to encourage or accept.
What are the effects of sleep deprivation? Sleep experts are generally in agreement that if you feel drowsy during the day you haven't had enough sleep.
Or if it's normal for you to fall asleep within five minutes of lying down, you're probably suffering from degree of sleep deprivation.
It may be so severe as to constitute a sleep disorder.
Sleep deprivation is, beyond question, dangerous.
Tests have shown that if you're sleep deprived you'll perform tasks as poorly as someone who is intoxicated on alcohol.
Unfortunately, complete teetotalers who wouldn't dream of driving drunk sometimes drive so sleep deprived that they might as well be drunk.
And if you do drink while you're in a sleep-deprived condition, the problems only multiply! The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 100,000 automobile accidents -- and 1,500 deaths -- are caused or exacerbated each year by sleep deprivation.
Coffee or other stimulants cannot and will not overcome the effects of sleep deprivation.
You are too drowsy to drive safely if you can't stop yawning, if you have problems keeping your eyes focused, or if you can't remember the last few miles you've driven.
If you find yourself feeling drowsy while driving, stop driving.
Sleep Disorders About 40 million people in the United States (about 2 percent of us) suffer from severe sleep disorders such as insomnia, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, and sleep apnea.
Each of these interferes with your sleep.
Each of these, therefore, interferes with your brain's maintenance & upkeep operations.
Each of these, therefore, can result in you doing the moral equivalent of driving drunk.
They can leave you disoriented, unable to focus, and unable to make sound decisions about your life and responsibilities.
If you suspect that you have a severe sleep disorder you should take immediate steps -- including consulting with your doctor -- to ensure that your brain is getting enough sleep each and every night.
Failure to get enough sleep isn't just inconvenient, it's downright dangerous! Copyright (c) William Johnson 2008