Sleep: How Important Is It?

Written by Ivory Chen

The average human sleeps around seven hours a night. Sleep can be just as essential as food or water, it helps us survive. More importantly, sleep is critical for the brain to function properly, therefore affecting your entire bodily functions. 

Sleep plays a key role in removing toxins from the brain that build up when awake. Little is known about the biological reasoning behind the necessity of sleep – but much has been discovered about the bits and pieces that allow us to sleep. 

As we get ready to sleep, chemicals called neurotransmitters begin to “dampen” the cells' activity affecting sleep quality. The reason why sleep patterns change so drastically is largely due to the effectiveness of these chemical neurotransmitters. If cells aren’t dampened enough, it may lead to a restless night of sleep. During sleep, the hypothalamus plays a big role in allowing your body to shut down properly. Inside the structure is a bundle of cells that receive information about light exposure – known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus – which helps control behavioral rhythm. People with damage to the SCN often have trouble identifying when to sleep due to erratic rhythms with their light-dark perception. 

Overall, aim to sleep at least 7-9 hours of sleep a night. While many believe that sleep deprivation can be “caught up” by sleeping in on the weekends, this may not always be the case.

Written by Ivory Chen from MEDILOQUY