“Got up on the wrong side of the bed, did ya?”
This is usually prompted when greeted by Mr Grumpy in the morning. It’s also often followed through with “I need coffee… now!!”
Lions sleep for an average of 15 hours per day. A giraffe sleeps on average 2 hours per day. Probably because it’s afraid to be eaten by the lion! For us humans, it varies mainly due to the lifestyle we typically live.
It is said that a human could potentially die from lack of sleep. A trial using rats as test subjects were noted to have died after 2 weeks of no sleep (how did they manage to keep rats awake for so long?). A scholar, deciding to volunteer himself as a science fair experiment, managed to remain awake for 11 days. Results deemed a number of theories correct. The scholars’ cognitive function, after 2 days, became emotional and erratic. Irrational behaviour took effect, at which point the brains’ ability to reason is stripped and the primitive part of the brain that controls fight or flight was actively stimulated.
Hallucinations became prevalent as a side effect due to the lack of sleep and mixed signals from an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. The Pineal Gland is responsible for the release of Melatonin which prepares the brain and body for sleep. Constant/excessive light suppressed Melatonin release.
So let’s look at why we need sleep. Well, the most obvious would be to rest and recover our bodies from the activities of the day. What happens to the brain while we sleep? It becomes a clean-up and organizing process. This process is called Brain Plasticity. All the activities of the day, be it reading, listening, watching or physical, has to be organized in a manner in which the brain can decide what to store and what to discard.
But what about the useless stuff we don’t need? Based on impressions, the brain can distinguish useless information from useful information – by the way information is perceived and developed in the brain. Imagine if you will, a tree-like memory that is formed based on new information. As the brain receives this new information and depending on how well the brain understands the new information, determines the strength of this newly developed tree.
Branches begin forming around this tree as the information is better understood by the brain. Hence why in the morning you remember certain details far greater than others, like the colour or type of car that passed you on the road at 10:32 am on a Tuesday morning. Enough sleep significantly improves memory function which is great for doing some reading or learning before bedtime.
Other benefits of a good sleep are improved hormone function and lowered cortisol levels. It can also fight obesity and improve skin condition. The immune system greatly benefits with between 7 and 9 hours of sleep. Anything less and you are three times more likely to catch a cold. Healthy sleep also has the ability to lower depression.
Here’s a weird tip: If you find yourself battling with getting comfortable, try placing a pillow between your legs. This helps improve posture.
An alternative is to evaluate the condition of your mattress, and if you feel it’s no longer providing you with the support for a peaceful rejuvenating nights rest, perhaps consider coming down to one of our stores. Our expert team is well equipped to make suggestions and provide an option perfectly suited for you!