Not only you, but also scientists and sleep researchers agree that it is vital for our existence. But what we don't know is why it happens at all.
Get ready for a small shock: from an evolutionary point of view, sleep doesn't make much sense. It takes up 1/3 of a person's life doing practically nothing for about 8 hours, and all that time, again – evolutionarily – it exposed people to the danger of animal attacks and limited time for hunting.
Another theory is that sleep is a process of memory organization: it reinforces moments deemed important, while erasing others that are not. Since this "arrangement" is difficult while we are awake and actively thinking about something, rest comes to the rescue. There are many supporting arguments for this theory from scientists, but the specific mechanisms of how it happens are not clear.
And while "why we sleep" is a question with various answers, it is clear that a rest of at least 7 hours is mandatory. We give you 3 interesting and scientific facts about sleep.
1. You cannot teach your brain and body to sleep less
Not without it coming at the expense of your health. All institutions agree on this – adults between 18 and 64 years old need 7 to 9 hours of sleep. Those over 65 cope with 7 to 8 hours, and children can get up to 17 hours, with the optimal being around 10-12.
Keep in mind that even if you sleep for 12 hours, if you lack deep sleep, or it is fragmented, you won't feel like you've slept at all. Regardless of whether you consistently try to sleep for 5-6 hours, it will affect your concentration and energy during the day.
2. Your brain can be just as active while you sleep as when you are awake.
On the graph, you see a hypnogram, which explains the sleep cycle. If you thought until now that your brain practically shuts down while you sleep, that's not quite right. Sleep is a very active period. It starts with REM (rapid eye movement) – the most active phase, in which you are not yet actually asleep, but it is the period when you dream. The next two phases are very light, and if this is the only sleep you get for the night, you won't feel rested. Phases three and four are deep sleep, which will restore your body and give you energy for the next day.
3. You cannot fully catch up on sleep on weekends
Many people sleep less during the week – often due to work schedules and commitments, and try to catch up on weekends. Why isn't this a working strategy? The brain adheres to habits and routine, with the optimal being 7 hours of sleep 7 nights a week.
Studies at Penn State University indicate that catching up on sleep on weekends (often with late nights and waking up at noon) contributes to deficits caused by sleep deprivation during the work week, validated by results from tests for focus, concentration, and physical energy.
So, if you see yourself catching up on sleep on weekends, the solution is not more sleep on those two days, but rather fixing the problem through a consistent routine and the same bedtimes and wake-up times.
Helpful tip
Looking at the sleep phases above, you will notice several awake windows. Most often, we don't remember these awakenings, and they are short, but if you feel discomfort, uneasiness, and frequent tossing and turning, it is quite possible to disrupt quality sleep.
Often the solution is a memory foam mattress. The material is a NASA invention, created after they were tasked with providing a safety solution for pilots and passengers. Today, memory foam is found in a number of industries and, as you might guess, in the mattress industry. Since your body conforms to the mattress with its individual curves, you fall asleep much faster and don't toss and turn during sleep. All memory foam mattresses can be found here.
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