A person sleeps on average 1/3 of his life. This means that if a person lived 80 years, he slept for about 26 years. Even though it sounds like a lot, every hour of sleep is important for our health. Let's understand why sleep is so important?
→ After all, why do we sleep?
Several studies try to explain why we sleep, however, in each study, it is noticed that sleep is something more complex and important than we imagine. One of the main roles of sleep is physical and mental repair, in addition, of course, to energy savings once we enter a resting stage.
Some research also indicates that sleep causes the experiences lived during the day to be processed by the brain. It is at this moment that our brain makes important connections, improving, for example, our memory. The brain records what is important and eliminates what it considers unnecessary. Therefore, studying for long periods and not sleeping properly can directly affect learning.
There are studies that even suggest that sleep would be like a reset button. This would return the brain to a state capable of learning new things, increasing memory capacity. It is also worth noting that sleeping properly helps to prevent illnesses, as it strengthens the
immune system, in addition to improving our metabolism.Do not stop now... There's more after the advertising ;)
→ What happens if we don't sleep?
There are several consequences of a bad night's sleep. At first, we run out of energy to carry out our tasks and the eyelids start to weigh down on our eyes. In addition, the longer we do not sleep, the less our capacity for concentration and memory, in addition to generating mood swings.
Over time, lack of adequate sleep can contribute to serious health problems. Lack of sleep is related, for example, with the development of heart problems, obesity, diabetes and even depression. Many of these problems occur because levels of stress hormones increase at the time of sleep deprivation.
Curiosity:Did you know that experts say that the desire to sleep can be superior to eating?
By Ma. Vanessa dos Santos
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SANTOS, Vanessa Sardinha dos. "Why do we sleep?"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/curiosidades/por-que-dormimos.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
