Have you ever
wondered WHY do we need to sleep?
Or what might happen to us if we didn’t?
That is a very interesting subject now that it seems like I want to get
as much sleep as I possibly can!
According to the
Sleep Foundation, “Sleep is an essential function that allows your body and
mind to recharge, leaving you refreshed and alert when you wake up. Healthy sleep also helps the body remain
healthy and stave off diseases. Without enough sleep, the brain cannot function
properly.”
It is said that most
adults require between seven and nine hours of nightly sleep. Children and teenagers need substantially
more sleep. Now, I would think it to be
just the opposite, but who am I to argue with science!
All I do remember
is that when I was younger and had to get up in the mornings for school, I
really wanted to stay under those covers and get MORE sleep! It didn’t matter how long I had already been
in the bed, I wanted to get more.
The Sleep
Foundation goes on to explain the SCIENCE behind this needed sleep and
many other fascinating aspects about it.
You may enjoy reading their entire article at https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/why-do-we-need-sleep#:~:text=Sleep%20is%20an%20essential%20function,the%20brain%20cannot%20function%20properly.
What however happens
if you don’t get enough sleep? According
to the National Institute of Health you may develop a condition known as sleep
deprivation. However, they also discuss
the condition of sleep deficiency which is a broader concept than sleep
deprivation. They go into a lengthy
discussion of this topic at https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sleep-deprivation-and-deficiency
which is a very interesting read. You
might find out some points you need to know about your own sleep habits.
Sometimes the
expression goes that we might “sleep our lives away.” Or as one of my favorite lines go, spoken by
John Wayne in his 1972 western movie “The Cowboys,” “We’re burning daylight!” There are those who feel that they are going
to miss something important if they do not keep themselves busy, or perhaps
they are going to fall behind in some type of financial way if they don’t
become a workaholic and basically work 24/7!
There may be some
who have the fear of going to sleep and never waking up! Or, at least, the fear of being like Rip Van
Winkle (Washington Irving, 1819) https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ny-ripvanwinkle/
who fell asleep for twenty years and all that he had known or remembered had
changed around him.
I think, perhaps,
we should find a balance somewhere in between that works for us. In that way, we are not failing to get the
sleep we need, but we are not over-indulging in slumbering away our life. The major problem that we have in doing that
is the fact that we’re only human!
QUOTE TO CONSIDER
THOUGHTFUL GEM
"All things are too great to deal with
until I awaken from my sleep and take action!"
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