Sleep
If
you feel sleepy during the day, whether in a “boring” lecture or in front of
the Television, you probably need more sleep. Without enough sleep, your
attention span is shortened and you can become increasingly irritable.
Sleep
needs are highly individual. We all have an internal clock that sets bodily
functions, including when we are most alert and when we sleep best during a
24-hour period our circadian rhythm.
Some peoples:
- Need as little as 7 hours of sleep; others need 10 - most need 8 to
10 hours,
- Can sleep through anything; others are awakened easily by sound,
light, or temperature change
- Are
most alert in the evening; others in the morning
Why we need to sleep
Our
brain never rests, even when asleep. It remains electrically and metabolically
active, tending to its nighttime tasks snooze away.
Recordings
of electrical impulses from the brain show two distinct kinds of sleep: REM (Rapid Eye Movement) or “dream
sleep,” and NREM (Non-Rapid Eye
Movement).
Each
type of sleep performs a different but vital function. NREM sleep helps to
attend and concentrate during the day. REM sleep consolidates short-term memory,
such as the new concepts, facts, and skills learn in a day, into long term
memory, enabling to retain it.
Sleepiness
Here
are causes and cures for most daytime sleepiness:
Sleep Debt: Do you deprive yourself of sleep, then later
crash?
If
so, you've created a “sleep debt,” and lost much of the benefits of the REM and
NREM sleep that you've missed.
As
long as you don’t get an adequate amount of sleep, the debt grows larger.
When
this debt is large enough, it can take at least two weeks of getting the right amount
every night to catch up.
Naps
can help pay off sleep debt. Even a 10 or 20 minute nap can make a difference.
If you wake up from a short nap feeling crummy, don’t worry. In an hour or so
you’ll have renewed energy.
If
you have difficulty sleeping at night, don’t nap.
Phase Delay: You can override your natural tendency of being a
morning or an evening person by establishing a different sleep wake cycle.
Switching over to another pattern creates a “phase delay” which can cause
daytime sleepiness, even if you are getting enough total hours of sleep. To
correct this, reset your internal clock by going to sleep and getting up at
roughly the same time every day. Do this consistently, and be sure to include
weekends.
Jet Lag: When you fly across time zones, your circadian
rhythm is out of synch with the day-night cycle of your new environment. It’s
best to try to switch over to your new location’s schedule immediately.
Sleep Disorders: If you sleep 8 to 9 hours a night and are still
sleepy during the day, you could have a sleep disorder, especially if you snore
loudly while asleep. There can be serious health consequences, so discuss the
situation with a medical practitioner.
Trouble
in Sleep
- Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and heavy use of alcohol
- Sleep in a comfortable and quiet place - earplugs can help,
If you have trouble
in sleeping feel free to contact us
Vivekanantha
Clinic Consultation Champers at
Chennai:- 9786901830
Pondicherry:- 9865212055
Panruti:- 9443054168
9786901830
Vivekanantha Clinic Health Line
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