The impact of healthy sleep on the human body. How does sleep affect our lives? Sleep is a physiological need of the body

How many hours of sleep does an average person need to really rest? The number of hours varies from 6 to 8 per day - this time should be quite enough for a person to be able to work further, without harm to his health. But if you constantly lack sleep, this is fraught with serious consequences, ranging from mild neurosis and the risk of extra centimeters at the waist, and ending with more serious problems - heart disease and increased risk get diabetes.

Unpleasant symptoms may appear after the first night of lack of sleep. What else threatens bad dream? The Huffington Post decided to look into this in more detail.

Some brilliant people hardly needed sleep, and they did not suffer without it. For example, Leonardo da Vinci needed only 1.5-2 hours of sleep a day, Nikola Tesla - 2-3 hours, Napoleon Bonaparte slept at intervals of about 4 hours in total. You can arbitrarily classify yourself as a genius and believe that if you sleep 4 hours a day, you will have time to do much more, but your body may not agree with you, and after several days of torment it will begin to sabotage your work, if you want it, or not.

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What happens to the body after one day of lack of sleep

You start to overeat. So, if you've had little or no sleep for at least one night, you feel hungrier than after a standard sleep. Studies have shown that lack of sleep provokes appetite, as well as the choice of more high-calorie, with high content carbohydrates, and not quite healthy foods.

Attention worsens. Due to drowsiness, your alertness and reaction deteriorates, and this, in turn, can lead to accidents on the road or at work (if you work with your hands or are a doctor or driver, which is even worse). If you sleep 6 hours or less, you are three times more likely to have an accident on the road.

Appearance deteriorates. Bruising under the eyes after a bad dream is not the best decoration. Sleep is good not only for your brain, but also for your appearance. A small study in the journal SLEEP, published last year, found that those who sleep less seem less attractive to people. And studies in Sweden have also shown a link between rapid aging skin and lack normal sleep.

The risk of catching colds increases. Good sleep is one of the building blocks immune system. A study conducted at Carnegie Mellon University found that getting less than 7 hours of sleep per day triples your risk of getting sick. Moreover, experts at the Mayo Clinic explain that during sleep, special proteins are produced in the body - cytokines. Some of them help support sound sleep, and some need to be increased to protect the body when you have an infection or inflammation, or when you are stressed. As a result of sleep deprivation, the production of these protective cytokines decreases and you stay sick for longer.

You run the risk of getting microdamage to the brain. Recent a little research, conducted with fifteen men and published in the same journal SLEEP, showed that even after one night of sleep deprivation, the brain loses some of its tissue. This can be detected by measuring the level of two molecules in the blood, an increase in which usually signals that the brain has been damaged.

Of course, this is just a small study done with fifteen men - not that big of a sample. But how can you be sure that this will not affect you?

You become more emotional. And not in better side. According to a 2007 study from Harvard and Berkeley Medical Schools, if you don't get enough sleep, the emotional areas of the brain become more than 60% reactive, meaning you become more emotional, irritable, and explosive. The point is that without enough sleep, our brain switches to more primitive forms of activity and is not able to normally manage emotions.

You may experience problems with memory and concentration. Problems with attentiveness are added to problems with memory and concentration. It becomes difficult for you to concentrate on completing tasks, and your memory worsens, as sleep is involved in the process of memory consolidation. So, if you don't sleep much, remembering new material will be more and more difficult for you (depending on the neglect of your situation).

What happens to your body if you don't get enough sleep in the long run

Let's say you have an exam or an urgent project and you just need to cut your sleep to the bare minimum in order to get everything done. This is allowed in short intervals, just try not to drive and warn everyone in advance that you are very tired and you may react a little inadequately, emotionally. After passing an exam or finishing a project, you will rest, get enough sleep and get back in shape again.

But if your job is causing your standard 7-8 hours of sleep to drop to 4-5, you need to seriously consider changing either the way you work or the work itself, as the consequences permanent shortage dreams are much sadder than simple nervousness or bruising under the eyes. The longer you maintain such an unhealthy regimen, the higher the price your body will pay for it.

The risk of getting a stroke increases. Research published in the journal SLEEP in 2012 showed that sleep deprivation (less than 6 hours of sleep) for older people increases the risk of stroke by 4 times.

The risk of becoming obese increases. Simply overeating due to not getting enough sleep for a day or two is nothing compared to what can happen to you if constant sleep deprivation becomes your standard routine. As discussed in the previous section, sleep deprivation causes an increase in appetite and, of course, leads to constant nighttime snacking. All this together is transformed into extra pounds.

Increases the chance of certain types of cancer. Of course, it will not appear simply because you are not sleeping enough. But poor sleep can trigger the appearance of precancerous lesions. So, as a result of a study conducted among 1240 participants (a colonoscopy was performed), those who slept less than 6 hours a day had a 50% increased risk of colorectal adenoma, which over time can turn into a malignant tumor.

Increased chance of developing diabetes. A 2013 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that too little (and too much!) sleep was associated with an increased risk of many chronic diseases, including diabetes. This is due to the fact that lack of sleep, on the one hand, leads to the risk of obesity, and on the other hand, insulin sensitivity decreases.

The risk of heart disease increases. Harvard Health Publications reports that chronic sleep deprivation associated with increased blood pressure, atherosclerosis, heart failure and myocardial infarction. Research conducted in 2011 at the Warwick Medical School found that if you sleep less than 6 hours a night and sleep is disturbed, you get a "bonus" in the form of a 48% increase in the likelihood of dying from heart disease and 15% from stroke. Staying up late or into the morning for long periods is a ticking time bomb!

The number of spermatozoa decreases. This paragraph applies to those who still want to know the happiness of fatherhood, but are postponing for the time being, as they are busy accumulating an inheritance. In 2013, a study was conducted in Denmark among 953 young men, during which it turned out that in guys with sleep disorders, the concentration of spermatozoa in the semen is 29% lower than in those who sleep the standard 7-8 hours a day.

The risk of premature death increases. Studies that evaluated 1,741 men and women over 10-14 years showed that men who slept less than 6 hours a night increased their chances of dying prematurely.

All of this was data obtained during research. But, as we know, in our controversial world, research data can be completely opposite. Today we can read about what new magic pills will save us from all diseases, and tomorrow an article may already be published that other studies have shown completely opposite results.

You may or may not believe in the long term. constant lack of sleep, but you cannot deny the fact that if you do not sleep enough, then you become irritable and inattentive, do not remember information well, and you are even afraid to look in the mirror. Therefore, let's spare ourselves and sleep at least 6 hours a day for ourselves, our beloved, at least in the short term.

Skin care, exercise, proper nutrition our attractiveness depends on it, but healthy sleep will be no less important. Sleep should be long. Otherwise, problems may soon appear - wrinkles, bags and bruises under the eyes, hypertension, fatigue, irritability. According to experts, the duration of sleep should be at least 8 hours, but the average person sleeps 6 hours on work days and 7 hours on weekends. But even in such a hard mode, sleep should strengthen health, be full and promote beauty. We learn the effect of sleep on the human body from this publication.

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Photo gallery: The effect of sleep on the human body

For good and good sleep need to:
1. In the bedroom, you need to eliminate all extraneous noise. All room sounds should be soothing and muffled.
2. Curtains on the windows should not let in light and be dark.
3. Before going to bed, the bedroom needs to be ventilated.
4. Take a warm bath before bed.
5. The clock face must be turned away from you.
6. The bedroom is not a place for a computer and TV.
7. Do not drink alcohol before bed. And although alcohol contributes fast falling asleep, but the dream will not be strong, and beauty is not worth talking about. Payback for dubious pleasure are bags under the eyes, puffiness.
8. Don't go to bed on an empty or full stomach.
9. Avoid caffeine and nicotine before bed.

According to Claudia Schiffer, she needs 12 hours of sleep in order to look good. We, on the other hand, need fewer hours of sleep, and this is usually 7 or 8. And this time affects our well-being throughout the day, but also our appearance. These are not empty words that sleep affects beauty. Try sleeping on an uncomfortable old couch or not getting enough sleep for a few nights, then you will see that under your eyes have appeared dark circles and the skin is dull.

What effect does sleep have on appearance? During sleep, the human body produces the growth hormone melatonin. Melatonin stimulates the production of collagen - a protein that prevents the appearance of wrinkles, forms the frame of the skin, makes it renew itself. According to recent data, melatonin is produced during deep sleep. Superficial sleep, night on sleeping pills bring the human body less good than proper and natural sleep.

How can a dream turn you into an attractive and irresistible woman?
Rule One
You should go to sleep and wake up at the same time. In other words, sleep should come not when there is no strength, but when it is time to sleep. You need to calmly and smoothly sink into sleep, and not fail.

Rule Two
Create your own bedtime ritual. Let it be a pleasant trifle to the soul: Herb tea or glass warm milk with honey, foam bath, foot massage with aromatic oils. The main thing is that it calms you and brings pleasure. You can apply your favorite cream with a delicate aroma on your face, turn on relaxation music, perform a calming yoga asana, in short, just treat yourself.

The secret of this action is that you perform a certain ritual, and set your body to restful sleep. In addition, it is a good way to get rid of unnecessary thoughts and worries, as it best friends insomnia.

The main third rule
Sleep on the right surface. And the position that your body occupies during sleep depends more than we think. If the spine in a dream is in an unnatural position, then everyone suffers internal organs: starts oxygen starvation, blood circulation is disturbed. And this is a direct path to unhealthy appearance, to diseases. What should be sleeping area? If you sleep on very soft surfaces, then the spine will not receive the necessary support, which means that the muscles of the neck and back will be in constant tension.

If you have trouble sleeping, don't suffer in silence. You need to consult with a specialist who will tell you what needs to be done. There are many natural and chemical sleeping pills, but they should not be used without a doctor's prescription. But natural sedatives available to almost everyone.

Hop
Helps to relax nervous system. It should not be used by pregnant women as it causes indigestion.
Valerian root
Helps relieve anxiety and insomnia. However, an overdose causes headaches and intoxication.
Chamomile
Promotes relaxation and helps calm the nerves. But it can cause allergies.
Passionflower
Calms the central nervous system of a person. It should not be used with drugs that relieve high blood pressure.
Nutrition and sleep
The food that we eat before sleep has an important effect on sleep. The lighter the dinner, the better sleep. Before going to bed, you should avoid spicy, heavy, fatty foods, eggs, red meat. Of the drinks, you do not need to use those that have a diuretic effect - coffee, orange tea, alcohol. Preference should be given to all dairy products, fish, pasta, white bread, raw vegetables. Perfect option, this is to eat 2 hours before bedtime.

Knowing what effect sleep has on the human body, you will be able to notice that you do not adhere to any of the recommendations from this article. By following these tips, you will be able to good dream and sleep well.

Sleep is special physiological state organism, which reduces the response to the world. Positive influence sleep for health was considered a dogma and was not tested until the middle of the twentieth century. It was not until the 1950s that scientists began to investigate the effects of sleep on health and made some very interesting findings.

It turned out that anabolism is activated in sleep - the process of formation of new high-molecular compounds, the majority of hormones, muscle fibers and even young cells are synthesized. The body is being renewed. Thus, the fact that children grow up in a dream has received a scientific justification.

In addition, during sleep, the brain analyzes and processes information. At the same time, redundant and unnecessary information is removed, while important, on the contrary, is absorbed. As a result, mental resources and working capacity are restored. Many world-famous scientists noted that it was in a dream that ideas and discoveries came to them, which then became the foundation for the progress of civilization.

Sleep has its own structure and consists of 2 stages: slow and fast, which cyclically replace each other. For some time it was believed that the worst effect on the body is the deprivation of a person REM sleep, but as a result of scientific research scientists refuted this information and proved that the decisive moment is the continuity of sleep and the normal ratio between its phases. This explains why many people do not feel rested when taking sleeping pills.

The effect of sleep on human health

If the duration of sleep is insufficient, a person's performance decreases and the risk of developing various diseases. What is meant by the term “sufficient duration” and how great is the effect of sleep on the body, we will consider in a little more detail.

Heart diseases

Clinical studies have shown a relationship between cardiovascular disease and sleep duration. If its duration during long period time is less than 7 hours a day, this increases the risk by two and a half times. Paradoxically, but scientific fact: if a person sleeps more than 10 hours a day, this also negatively affects the heart, but the risk increases "only" one and a half times.

Weight gain and risk of obesity

Fat cells produce leptin, a hormone that is responsible for energy conservation. The peak production of this hormone occurs at night, and if the sleep pattern is disturbed or the sleep is short, the hormone is produced little. The body realizes that it has stored little energy and begins to store it in the form of body fat.

All balanced weight loss programs are aimed not only at the normalization of nutrition and physical activity but also on the regulation of the regime of work and rest. It is believed that after full-fledged physical activity, sleep becomes deeper, the slow phase prevails in it - it is during it that the main amount of leptin is produced.

Decreased libido and potency

When sleep is disturbed in men, testosterone levels fall and, as a result, decreases sex drive having problems with erection. The first recommendation that andrologists give to their patients in such cases is to get enough sleep and normalize your sleep.

The effect of sleep on performance

The impact of sleep patterns is especially hard on workers mental labor, because during the night's rest, the information received during the day is processed. If a person is deprived of sleep, the brain simply will not absorb new information and skills. At least, this is the version that modern neuroscientists adhere to. According to some reports, a sleepless person has 17 hours brain activity corresponds to the level of a person whose blood contains 0.5 ppm of alcohol, and a day without sleep corresponds to 1 ppm.

During various studies it was found that after a full sleep, students improved their learning abilities, they more effectively coped with math problems, more successfully taught foreign languages and better assimilated the material covered the day before.

The impact of sleep patterns also affects workers physical labor. In particular, in the case of a lack of night rest, their risk of injury increases and productivity decreases due to a decrease in attention.

How to normalize sleep

The amount of sleep needed varies from person to person. To determine your rate, it is recommended to do the following experiment. Go to bed 15 minutes earlier than your usual time. If within a week the state of health does not improve, then add another 15 minutes to this time and observe the state of health for another week. Continue adding a 15-minute interval to your nightly sleep until you feel refreshed when you wake up.

In addition, first of all, you should pay attention to the regime of the day. Peaks of physical and intellectual activity are best concentrated in daytime and leave the evening for rest and relaxation. Also in the evening it is worth limiting the emotional load.

Great importance is given to falling asleep at the same time. Moreover, these actions must be accompanied by a certain ritual. For example, you can make it a rule to take a short evening walk, air the room, wash your face, etc. Thanks to such simple actions, the body will subconsciously prepare for rest, which means that sleep will come faster and be deeper.

Often improves after normalization of sleep general well-being, retreat some chronic diseases, lifts the mood. Take care of your body and very soon you will feel tangible changes.

Dream — important function, a state of great general biological significance. A person spends a third of his life in a dream and cannot do without sleep. During sleep, a person's activity decreases metabolic processes And muscle tone, the processes of anabolism are more active, inhibited nervous structures. All this contributes to the restoration of strength after a day of mental and physical labor. But, as noted by I.P. Pavlov, sleep is not just rest, but an active state of the body, which is characterized special form brain activity. In particular, during sleep, the analysis and processing of information accumulated by a person over the previous time takes place. If such sorting was successful, then the brain is freed from excessive information accumulated the day before, and is again ready to work. Thanks to this, a person's neuropsychic state is normalized, working capacity is restored. Sleep provides programming processes in the brain and performs whole line other functions.

Sleep is a structurally complex phenomenon. It consists, at least, of two large stages, which naturally and cyclically replace each other: 1) sleep slow duration 60 - 90 minutes; it, in turn, consists of several phases and 2) fast sleep(paradoxical) - 10 20 minutes.

Deeper brain structures are responsible for REM sleep, and in young children it dominates. With age, the proportion of non-REM sleep associated with younger evolutionary brain structures increases; it is more complex.

For a long time it was believed that depriving a person of REM sleep is harder for his health than slow sleep. But this is not so - the main thing is normal structure sleep, i.e. certain ratios of slow and fast phases. If this ratio is violated (which happens, for example, when taking sleeping pills), then a dream, even a long one, does not bring a sense of desired rest. If sleep is shortened, and a person is unable to get enough sleep, then efficiency drops and some problems arise. neurotic disorders; if lack of sleep is regular, these changes gradually accumulate, and due to the deepening of neurosis, severe functional diseases can occur.

A characteristic feature of REM sleep is dreams. Although it is now known that both fast and slow sleep may be accompanied by dreams, but bright, emotionally colored, sometimes with fantastic or detective plots of dreams, most often from REM sleep, when the brain is working very hard, resembling the waking period with its activity.

Dreams are characteristic of everyone, but not all people and not every one of them remember.

Sigmund Freud considered dreams as a special and very important language of people's consciousness, as a breakthrough into the consciousness of the unconscious, often in a symbolic, veiled form. It is this feature that sometimes allows you to solve some problems in a dream. challenging tasks, make a breakthrough into a new field of knowledge and even generate brilliant ideas. 3. Freud believed that in a dream the struggle of the psychobiological "I" of a person with various social restrictions is often reflected, which he is forced to obey in the waking state, because of which his psyche is in a state of constant tension. Thanks to dreams, when the barriers of limitation are removed, the mental stress(It is not for nothing that the Russian proverb speaks of this: “Woe to oversleep - no grief to be seen”). 3. Freud developed a special system of psychoanalysis, the basis of which is the decoding of the dream symbols characteristic of a particular person, which allows you to find that chronic cause, which causes him neuropsychiatric disorder. Symbols, the motivation of dreams depend on the psychophysiological characteristics of a person, the level of his culture, environmental conditions that determine requests, habits, interests. That is why numerous dream books that do not take into account all these features have no practical meaning.

The specific duration of sleep is purely individual and depends on the nature of the previous activity, general condition person, age, time of year, characteristics of human GNI and other factors. In particular, after intense mental or physical labor, longer sleep is required.

As practice shows, the main condition for the usefulness of sleep is its continuity - it is this that creates in the brain optimal conditions for processing information, for comparing information accumulated over the previous day with already established or genetically determined. It is thanks to this that memory reserves are released in a dream, the necessary information is erased and unnecessary reactions that have formed during wakefulness are eliminated.

It has a beneficial effect on the organization and structure of sleep the habit of going to bed and getting up at the same hours. Thanks to this, a stereotype is formed, which automatically turns on at a predetermined time, and falling asleep occurs quickly and without difficulty. Special meaning this has for knowledge workers who, as is often the case, by virtue of various reasons shift mental work to more late time, but such a regimen can take hold and gradually lead to sleep disturbances, and then to pathology. It is necessary to take into account the biorhythmological features of a person. So, a typical "lark" goes to bed an average of 1.5, and gets up 2 hours earlier than the "night owl".

In case of sleep disorders, it is advisable to make the evening hours a time for rest and relaxation, since significant physical and mental daytime stress worsens subsequent sleep. For the same purposes, evening time you should avoid highly emotional activities (arguments, watching emotional TV shows, etc.), heavy and plentiful food, drinks containing caffeine (coffee, tea, Coca-Cola) - in general, everything that excites the nervous system disturbs sleep. Sleep should be preceded by a calm environment. Saturated interesting working day, reasonable combination mental and physical activity, active and varied recreation, physical education are good prerequisites for normal sleep. Useful and evening walk.

If a person does not sleep well at night, there is no need to sleep during the day, but some people are helped by a short (up to half an hour) daytime sleep in between intense mental activity, which helps them relieve unnecessary stress and increase productivity.

It is better to sleep in a warm, dry, quiet, darkened room, on a not too soft, elastic mattress. Before going to bed, it’s a good idea to do simple soothing procedures, for example, take warm shower to read an enjoyable book. But the final choice of the sleep preparation mode is made by the person himself on the basis of own experience, conditions, analysis of sensations and well-being.