American sleep researcher Matthew Walker states: “Sleep is the most effective thing we can do to restore the health of our brain and body daily – nature’s best effort to combat death.” We’ve compiled some fascinating facts about sleep to help you better understand its importance and impact on life.
What You Should Know About Sleep
Sleep Phases: Sleep consists of several phases that cycle throughout the night – these are the non-rapid eye movement (NREM) phase and the rapid eye movement (REM) phase. Deep sleep, during which the body restores itself, is part of the slow-wave NREM phase. Most dreams occur during the REM phase when the body experiences muscle atonia, or paralysis of muscles, except those responsible for breathing and eye movement.
Dreams and Memory: Everyone dreams, but not everyone remembers their dreams. Within 5 minutes of waking, half of a dream is forgotten, and after 10 minutes, more than 90% is lost. If you want to remember your dreams, write them down immediately upon waking.
Dreams as a Source of Ideas: Dreams are a combination of recent impressions and autobiographical memories. During sleep, the brain processes information, creating associations that can lead to new solutions and creative ideas.
Impact on Memory: Sleep deprivation hinders the formation of new memories and can lead to long-term memory issues. Studies show that a lack of sleep contributes to the accumulation of a toxic protein called beta-amyloid, which is linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
Connection to the Cardiovascular System: During sleep, heart rate and blood pressure decrease, allowing the cardiovascular system to rest. When we lose an hour of sleep due to daylight saving time in spring, the number of heart attacks increases by 24% the following day.
Chronotype is Genetically Determined: About 40% of people are “early birds,” 30% are “night owls,” and 30% fall somewhere in between. Unfortunately, “night owls” often suffer more because societal schedules typically align with morning chronotypes.
The Importance of Even Short Sleep: Sleep deprivation negatively affects all bodily systems. However, even 26 minutes of sleep can improve task performance by 34% and increase alertness by more than 50%.
Effects of Sleep Deprivation: Staying awake for 16 hours already begins to impair physical and mental function. If sleep is absent for 19-20 hours, cognitive abilities decline to the level of someone who is intoxicated.
Limitations of Sleeping Pills: Most sleeping pills induce a state similar to a coma, which prevents proper memory processing and recovery during sleep. Use such medications only under medical advice.
Dreams in Color: Around 12% of people only see black-and-white dreams, while the rest dream in color. Interestingly, when a person snores, they are not dreaming.
Sleep and dreams play a crucial role in our health and well-being. Our mind and body need quality rest for proper functioning. Adopting healthy sleep habits can significantly improve the quality of life and support physical and emotional health.
