How does a person's sleep affect his health? How sleep affects a person’s mental health What duration of sleep is considered normal.
Benefits of long sleep
Long sleep can be beneficial in cases that depend on the physical and moral state of a person. For example, with overwork, daily heavy physical activity and lack of opportunity to get a good night's sleep. In this case, a lack of sleep accumulates in the body, all human resources are depleted at a certain point and in order to fully recover, a person will need more time to rest.In cases where a person is too exhausted, sleep can last a day. A sick person will need the same amount of time to regain his strength.
The harm of long sleep
The harm of long sleep is based on overwork, into which a person plunges when there is an excess of the sleep hormone. With excessively long sleep, the body begins to get tired, and as a result, it does not regain strength, but loses it. Long sleep also destroys the internal course of the biological clock, and therefore, to a certain extent, restructures the functioning of the body. As a result, the level of laziness and reluctance to do something increases. The result can be severe stress and a high risk of depression.Often, long sleep serves as a conscious escape from problems, that is, “I’m sleeping, which means I don’t see anything, I don’t solve anything.” This is the basis for many, the emergence of new and strengthening of old complexes. As for physical health, prolonged sleep can lead to an increase in migraine, stagnation of blood in the vessels, high blood pressure, and swelling of varying degrees.
Conclusion
What, exactly, is long sleep, how long does it last? Doctors say that the normal duration of sleep and wakefulness is different for a particular person. But there is an approximate distinction by which you can find out whether a person is sleeping within normal limits. So, sleep is considered long if its duration exceeds 10-14 hours or more. Therefore, for a person who only needs 7-8 hours of sleep, 10-11 hours is already too much. The distinctions are arbitrary, but they help to navigate the calculations of time spent on sleep.Health and sleep are integral components of a person’s normal life. At the same time, not only our general condition, but also many internal processes depend on normal sleep. While the body is resting, the body normalizes and stabilizes the entire metabolism. The energy spent during the day is restored and toxic substances are removed from the brain cells.
The benefits of sleep are very difficult to overestimate. Almost all body systems work normally only with full sleep. Healthy sleep is as necessary as air, food and water.
This is what happens to our body during sleep:
- The brain analyzes and structures the information it has received during the day. Everything we encounter during the day is sorted out, and unnecessary information is crossed out. This is how sleep affects our knowledge. Therefore, it is advisable to learn everything important in the evening.
- Weight is adjustable. The most basic substances that contribute to excess appetite are produced during insomnia. Therefore, if a person does not sleep, he wants to eat more, and from this he gains excess weight.
- The work of the heart is normalized. Cholesterol levels are reduced, which helps restore the cardiovascular system. This is health in the truest sense.
- Immunity. The normal functioning of our protective system directly depends on healthy rest. If you suffer from insomnia, then expect infectious diseases.
- Restoration of damaged cells and tissues. It is at this time that wounds and injuries heal most actively.
- Energy is restored. Breathing slows down, muscles relax, and sensory organs turn off.
This is not a complete list of beneficial properties that sleep has on human health. Hormonal levels are restored, and growth hormones are released, which is very important for children. Memory improves and concentration increases, so in order to complete urgent work, it is recommended not to sit all night, but rather get some sleep so you can get ready.
Everyone knows that a person cannot live without rest, just as he cannot live without food and water. But nevertheless, most people continue to disrupt their biorhythms and do not devote enough time to rest at night.
Health and sleep are very closely related, so practicing sleep hygiene is extremely important.
Sleep is not as simple a phenomenon as it seems at first glance. This is why we sleep for several hours and get enough sleep, but you can go to bed on time and wake up completely exhausted. How sleep works and how this mechanism works is still being studied by doctors and scientists. The norm for an adult is to rest for 8 hours a day. During this period, you experience several complete cycles, which are divided into smaller phases.
In general, healthy sleep includes:
The ratio between the slow and fast phase changes. A person experiences the full cycle several times during the night. At the very beginning of the night's rest, slow sleep makes up 90% of the entire cycle, and in the morning, on the contrary, the fast phase predominates.
During each period of sleep, the body receives its share of benefits. Therefore, for complete recovery, a person needs to go through the full cycle at least 4 times a night. Good sleep is the key to health. Then you will wake up in a good mood and full of energy.
Proper organization and hygiene of sleep guarantees strong immunity, normal functioning of the nervous system, and also makes sleep itself sound, which increases its effectiveness for health. Here are the basic rules that must be followed to fall asleep peacefully and have good spirits in the morning.
This is basic sleep hygiene:
In addition, before going to bed, you should distract yourself and not watch TV or listen to loud music. The nervous system needs to prepare, and for this you can do yoga or meditation.
A warm bed, correct body position, sleep hygiene, and the absence of stressful situations will help you fall asleep peacefully and sleep soundly throughout the night.
A very large number of people try to work or study at night, as well as have fun. This can lead to health problems, as well as chronic sleep disorders.
The main consequences of lack of sleep:
The list goes on and on. A person who sleeps for no more than 3 days may see hallucinations and also experience mental disorders. Staying awake for five days can be fatal.
There are people on the planet who have not slept for several years without harm to their health. But these cases are isolated; in all other cases, prolonged lack of sleep can lead to serious illness.
The importance of sleep for human health and for the normal functioning of all systems is very great. At the same time, in order to fully relax, it is important to be able to organize your best sleep, as well as an entire healthy lifestyle.
We spend a third of our lives sleeping. For centuries, neurologists and psychologists have been studying the problem of sleep, its impact on our well-being and brain productivity. We are very familiar with the expression “I’ll get some sleep in the next world.” If we realized how much healthy sleep affects our life and success, we would never neglect it. Let's consider the important aspects. You will be surprised.
Dream is a natural physiological process in which reactions to the outside world are reduced, the body relaxes and nourishes energy, and brain activity increases.
Sleep phases
There are two phases of sleep, each of which has its own characteristics.
NREM sleep phase
Has four stages. On average lasts 90 minutes. In this phase, the body relaxes, blood pressure decreases, breathing becomes smooth and the body restores physical strength. Eye movement stops at the end of the phase. During the slow phase of sleep we do not dream.
REM sleep phase
Follows the slow-wave sleep phase. Its duration is up to 20 minutes. In this phase, the physical processes of the body change:
- body temperature rises
- heart rate increases
- the body does not move (only the muscles that provide heartbeat and breathing)
- eyes make rapid movements
- the brain is actively working
During REM sleep we dream. Have you ever wondered why we often dream that we fall and then wake up? There is a scientific explanation for everything. Since in this phase the body is motionless, the brain sends a signal to check if we are alive. The whole body twitches, the muscles contract - the reaction to the brain signal has worked. During REM sleep, the brain is more active than during waking hours. By comparison, when we are awake, the brain functions like a computer processing many operations. When the body has passed the slow-wave sleep phase, REM sleep is equated to productive operation of the system after a reboot. The phases of slow and fast sleep alternate with each other and usually amount to five cycles.
Meaning of sleep
Healthy sleep is the key to success. Of course, our physical condition depends on the quality of our sleep. At this time, tissues are regenerated, important hormones are produced, and we regain strength. With regular, adequate sleep, our professional and personal lives improve. Surprisingly, during sleep the brain finds answers to complex questions. It is no coincidence that Mendeleev dreamed of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements.
Lack of sleep greatly affects brain function. Due to the inhibition of neural processes, the body's reaction speed is greatly deteriorated. Unfortunately, many car accidents are caused by the driver's failure to react in a timely manner. And when the prefrontal cortex slows down, it is difficult for a person to formulate thoughts, and vision is lost.
Consequences of lack of sleep:
- decreased productivity
- immune vulnerability
- overeating
- bad habits
- bad appearance
- Bad mood
How much sleep do you need to get enough sleep?
The duration of sleep is an individual thing. For more active people, six hours of sleep is enough. Some people need at least ten hours to get enough sleep. Many researchers have studied this topic and came to a consensus that the norm for sleep duration is eight hours.
It is important to remember that when you are training intensely and doing a lot of mental work on top of that, your sleep time should continue to nine o'clock.
Rules for healthy sleep
It is not the duration, but the quality of sleep that helps the body renew itself. We have prepared rules that will help you achieve perfect sleep:
1. Don't eat three hours before bed.
Research proves that we see horrors precisely when we overeat or eat at night. Food absorption processes slow down at night. Our late dinner can remain in the stomach until the morning, which is very unhealthy.
2. Be active.
If you spend a lot of energy during the day, your sleep will be sound. Walk more, play sports. This will help you always be in good shape and certainly guarantee a good rest. Don't exercise three hours before going to bed. After physical activity, we need time for the nervous system to calm down.
3. Ventilate the room before going to bed.
Fresh cool air has a positive effect on our well-being. At a temperature of 18 degrees, the body is comfortable, and we see good dreams.
4. Stick to a routine.
In the modern rhythm, this is difficult, of course, but if you stick to your sleep schedule, this habit will bring useful results: you will accomplish more and feel better.
5. Eliminate external irritants.
Where possible, eliminate noise pollution and dim lights. Silence will help you relax and come into peace of mind. Try not to use your smartphone (laptop, TV) at least an hour before bedtime. Read a book.
6. Keep an eye on the resting place.
Your crib is where you sleep and nothing more. Don't eat or work in bed. Always keep your laundry clean. Don't just sit on the bed. This will develop a reflex.
7. Sleep naked.
The less clothing we wear, the better the quality of our sleep. True. Your skin needs to breathe. No synthetics.
8. Get out of bed as soon as you hear the alarm clock.
It not only organizes, but also becomes a habit. After waking up, the brain begins active activity. If you stay late in bed, it relaxes you for the day and makes it difficult to get ready.
9. Dream before bed.
No matter how hard the day is, allow yourself to dream before going to bed. Think positively, remember the positive moments of the past day, make wishes for tomorrow, order yourself dreams.
10. Be careful what you dream about.
Believe it or not, many answers can actually come in a dream. However, the ability to understand your own dreams is an art. Only you can explain and analyze dreams. Learn to hear your subconscious.
Let's sum it up!
Healthy sleep is the key to success. Make sure of this by following the rules. How easy and productive you will feel when you get regular and adequate sleep. Be healthy!
People spend one third of their lives sleeping; this is an important process in their body. A person cannot stay awake, but a night's rest does not always bring relief. How to sleep correctly, is it possible to save time on it and be cheerful and active - these are the most popular questions for many people.
What is sleep
There is still no single scientific definition. A rough description of this phenomenon sounds like this:
(lat. somnus) - a natural physiological state characterized by a reduced reaction to the outside world. 
The study of this phenomenon began relatively recently - about 50 years ago. Before this, information about what happens to a person in this state was quite primitive and abstract. There were beliefs that the soul goes on some kind of astral journey, and all dreams are impressions and echoes of such journeys. And although the science of sleep - somnology - is developing very actively and rapidly and has learned much more than in the entire existence of mankind, there are still a lot of mysteries in this area.
It is reliably known that during oblivion the following reactions occur:
- the sleeper is in relative peace and relaxation;
- the sleeper’s perception of reality is somewhat limited, but not completely - some senses still work;
- various cyclical reactions occur in the brain, which differ from the reactions of the brain during wakefulness;
- active regeneration of cells throughout the body occurs;
- the information received during activity is organized;
- neurons rest and energy accumulates for the formation of new neural connections;
- blood circulation slows down, pulse decreases, becomes deep and slow;
- Only the stomach works actively, the rate of work of other internal organs decreases, and body temperature drops.
A person spends 7-8 hours a day in the kingdom of Morpheus. This time is divided into several cycles, approximately 4-5. Each cycle consists of a slow and a fast stage. Each stage is caused by activity in one lobe of the brain. 
The slow phase consists of three stages:
- Stage I- drowsiness, immediately after falling asleep, does not last long, quickly disappears due to external stimuli, breathing, eye movements slow down, absurd thoughts and dreamlike hallucinations appear;
- Stage II- light, shallow, this phase takes up more than half of the total sleep time, the activity of all muscles, breathing, temperature decreases, but a person in this phase is still easy to wake up;
- Stage III- slow deep sleep or delta phase: it is very difficult to wake up a sleeper, all processes are as slow as possible, brain rhythms are reduced to 2 GHz; in this phase, various disorders may occur, as a result, sleepwalking and talking in a dream appear.
After the end of the third phase, the fast stage begins or REM phase. In this phase, brain activity increases, the eyeballs begin to move quickly, all processes in the body are activated, but the muscles, on the contrary, become constrained and seem to be paralyzed. This period accounts for the largest number of dreams. But even during such activity, waking up a person is still problematic.
Did you know? Musical group R.E.M. named after the rapid phase of sleep.
After the end of REM sleep, one cycle ends, which lasts 90 minutes, and a new cycle begins with the first stage of the slow phase. It is best to wake up between 90-minute cycles. In this case, the person feels cheerful and rested and easily gets out of bed. 
The study of brain function and the activity of the body as a whole made it possible to determine basic sleep purposes for humans:
- rest for the muscles and organs of the body;
- replenishment of body energy;
- cleansing the body of toxins;
- memorization and formation of long-term memory;
- analysis of the general condition of the body and correction of identified deficiencies;
- formation of cells, including cells.
Benefits of healthy sleep
The positive properties of sleep determine it benefits for human health:
- health promotion and wound healing, treatment of diseases;
- complete rest for the whole body;
- maintaining a good figure - with lack of sleep, a feeling of hunger appears and excess weight begins to gain;
- maintaining normal attention and concentration;
- prevention of depression;
- disclosure of creative abilities.
Not sleeping: harmful to health
It would seem that a person sleeps quite a lot - a third of his life is spent sleeping. Is it possible to sacrifice this time and spend it on study, entertainment or work? History and research suggest that doing this is extremely harmful. Suffice it to remember that deprivation of this type of rest was one of the methods of torture and even execution.
With prolonged wakefulness, the following consequences are observed:
- impaired glucose absorption and, as a consequence, the development of diabetes mellitus;
- muscle pain;
- color blindness;
- visual impairment;
- depression;
- psychosis, attention and concentration disorders;
- hallucinations;
- tremor of the limbs;
- pain in the head, throat, nausea.
It turns out that refusing to travel to Morpheus is a rather dangerous idea, and it is undesirable to do so. 
Sleep-wake schedule
Any extreme is harmful, and the secret of success will be in the golden mean - the correct mode of rest and wakefulness. And here you need the right approach and some preparation.
What time do you go to bed?
Both ancient mystics and modern scientists have identified several time zones in which it is recommended to go to bed. They can be characterized as follows: fall asleep as close to sunset as possible. That is, the optimal time to fall asleep is from 22.00 to 23.00. It is during this period that the part of the brain that is responsible for the mind and psyche rests. Therefore, those who go to bed after 23.00 have impaired mental activity. If you continue to stay awake after 11 pm, your vitality also begins to decline. 
At first, negative changes will not be noticeable, but over time they will accumulate and make themselves felt.
Important!Therefore, it is necessary to follow the regime and go to bed around 22.00. This rule is true for both children and adults.
Healthy sleep
To sleep properly and healthily, you need to follow these rules:
- You should always go to bed at the same time - both on weekdays and on weekends;
- two hours before going to bed you should not take any food;
- no need to drink alcohol or other tonic drinks, herbal drinks are better - they will help you relax and calm down;
- Fresh air will help you fall asleep; it’s best to take a leisurely walk or go out onto the balcony;
- you need to clear your mind of worries and thoughts, get in the mood for the night: don’t watch TV, but rather read, knit - do a calm activity that will calm and relax, for example, a warm bath is good for relaxing and sets you up for rest;
- ventilate the bedroom;
- you need to sleep in the dark or with a dim, dim night light;
- It is not recommended to look at the phone during or before falling asleep - the bright light of the screen will drive away drowsiness and put the body into an excited state;
- you need to sleep comfortably, preferably with a minimum of clothing, it is better to cover yourself with another blanket so as not to freeze;
- the bed should be flat, not too soft, but not hard;
- You need to wake up slowly, smoothly; calm music with increasing volume and gradually increasing light in the room are suitable as an alarm clock.
These simple rules will help you sleep peacefully and fully. 
There is no definitive data on the duration of rest, because for some, 3-4 hours is enough, and for others, 8 hours is not enough. Research conducted by the US National Sleep Foundation, after studying more than 300 scientific papers on sleep, showed that the norm varies depending on the person's age, that is, the younger the person, the more time it takes.
Here's a breakdown of sleep times by age group:
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It is this length of night's rest that will allow you to be calm, focused and active for the rest of the day. 
How many hours to sleep during the day
It has long been known that children under 6-10 years old need to sleep during the day. But do adults need to sleep and how beneficial is it for them?
Did you know? Winston Churchill claimed that the secret to his productivity was getting a full day's sleep. And in Japan and China, daytime rest for workers is the norm in most enterprises.
Scientists from the French Association for the Study of Sleep, conducting round-the-clock temperature measurements, determined that at night a person’s temperature drops between 3 and 5 o’clock - these are the so-called “bull” and “wolf” hours: intervals when you especially want to sleep. But during the day, from 13 to 15 hours, a similar picture was recorded - body temperature decreased, although not as much as at night. These data allow us to conclude that you need to sleep twice a day.
A short immersion in the kingdom of Morpheus during the day will allow the body to rest and relieve accumulated tension, increase attentiveness and improve reaction; at this time, joy hormones - endorphins and serotonin - are released into the blood. People who allow short nap breaks during the day reduce their risk of heart attacks and strokes.
During the day, complete rest for one or two hours is not always possible, so you need to sleep without plunging into a deep stage. That is, a nap for twenty to thirty minutes will bring relief and freshness, while a nap for more than 40 minutes will “give” a feeling of heaviness in the head and a decrease in reaction. 
What happens if you sleep a lot
Sleeping too much is just as harmful as not getting enough sleep. Research by Harvard University scientists conducted from 1986 to 2000 shows that with prolonged sleep (more than 9 hours), practically the same deviations appear as with lack of sleep:
- memory and concentration are impaired;
- labor productivity decreases;
- the risk of developing obesity and diabetes increases;
- blood circulation is disrupted, in particular the blood supply to the brain, causing headaches;
- depression occurs.
The state of excessive lethargy and prolonged sleep is called hypersomnia, it is caused by various head injuries, mental disorders, and apnea. Often appears in adolescents or as a result of taking narcotic drugs.
Therefore, sleeping more than 12 hours, difficulty waking up, lethargy and dozing during the day can serve. In this case, it is better to see a doctor and get examined. 
How to sleep less and get enough sleep
Using knowledge about sleep phases and monitoring the sleep of infants, elderly people and some animals in the 20th century, it was developed polyphasic sleep theory. The main idea of this theory is to divide the rest time into parts throughout the day. As a result, the quality of sleep improves and its duration decreases. The reduction occurs due to a decrease in the number and duration of the slow phase. After all, the main beneficial properties, including rest, occur only in the REM sleep stage, which makes up 20-25% of the total rest time.
There are several options for polyphasic sleep:
- Dymaxion- 4 times for 30 minutes every 6 hours = 2 hours.
- Uberman- 6 times for 20 minutes every 4 hours = 2 hours.
- Everyman- 1 time at night (1.5–3 hours) and 3 times during the day for 20 minutes = 2.5–4 hours.
- Biphasic- 1 time at night (5 hours) and 1 time during the day (1.5 hours) = 6.5 hours.
- Tesla- 1 time at night (2 hours) and 1 time during the day (20 minutes) = 2 hours 20 minutes.
The transition to a new regime requires careful preparation:
- first you need to get used to the regime - fall asleep and wake up at a strictly defined time;
- when adapting, start with biphasic sleep - sleep twice for three to four hours;
- transition to polyphasic rest, consisting of 3-4 hours of sleep at night and several rest periods during the day.
Important! You should know that this method of sleep is not recommended for people with heart problems, nervous system disorders, or adolescents.
One of the problems with this way of life is the inability to live in rhythm with others around you. Thus, Buckminster Fuller, one of the first who decided to switch to rest in the “Dymaxion” mode he created, was forced to abandon this type of sleep three years later, due to contradictions in the daily schedule with his companions. Steve Pavlina, who decided to repeat Fuller’s experience, also refused to continue this mode of life due to a lack of synchrony with the outside world.
Did you know? Among the adherents of polyphasic sleep and the first practitioners are Leonardo da Vinci, who slept for 15-20 minutes every 4 hours, as well as Salvador Dali, Peter the Great, Goethe. They all managed to rest in a very short time. And one of the variants of polyphasic sleep is named after Nikola Tesla. It is believed that Tesla rested in this mode.
One of these modes allows you to completely relax in a very short period of time. And although this method has not been thoroughly tested by science, numerous experiments and the experience of polyphasic sleep adherents confirm the theory that you can sleep little and be alert and active the rest of the day.
Video: practicing polyphasic sleep
Practice of polyphasic sleep: reviews
To be fully active, I sleep at least 8 times, preferably 9-10. If I don’t get enough sleep, then I just pass out either very early in the evening, or I can sleep for a day
http://saveyou.ru/forum/showpost.php?p=235583&postcount=25
I recently read about how you can increase the duration of the REM sleep phase, about the REM rebound effect. Everything is banally simple: you need to deprive yourself of the REM sleep phase a day before the intended practice. That is, for example, today we sleep from 11 pm to 5-6 am, interrupting the REM phase. The next day the body will try to compensate for the losses. I myself often have to get up early, and just the next day everything works out well with what was postponed.
http://forum.aing.ru/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13023&sid=31c6d6c4072415d8f867bc77efce99a3&start=30
For myself, I decided to master the Everyman mode, I see it as the best, that is, I plan to take a 20-minute nap several times during the day, and at night as long as necessary. For me, the main thing is not to reduce sleep time, but to get enough sleep and phase. I plan to sleep in transport. As I already said, the hardest thing is to learn to fall asleep quickly, while thinking about this problem I came across an interesting method by Steve Pavlin - how to fall asleep in 30 seconds. It is noteworthy that before I found it I decided to try something similar. The essence of the method is to convince your body of the limited resource of sleep, that is, if I now, quickly, do not fall asleep in a few seconds, but lie down and think about all sorts of nonsense, then this time will be at the expense of sleep time, and it will always be so. Only this trick will allow you to fall asleep in a few minutes. During the day you need to take one or several naps, a maximum of 20 minutes, maybe 5. This is in order to show the body - “here is the time for you to sleep, if you don’t fall asleep, you won’t sleep, and it will always be like this.” This, of course, is also a variant of sleep deprivation, but not as severe as the classic transition to polyphasic sleep. In fact, nothing in the daily routine changes, you just need to clearly get up on the alarm clock, always limiting your sleep time to a certain time, no more, no less, and take a nap several times a day for 5-20 minutes. I also forgot to mention, I’ll have to get rid of caffeine (coffee, tea), this is also a problem for me, so I’m switching to herbal teas. I suspect that you can forget about the phase during the training period.
http://forum.aing.ru/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13023
Sleep is still a mysterious phenomenon, but extremely necessary for a person, because it is impossible to live without sleep. Properly organized, it brings relief and relaxation, improves health, and therefore it is important to prepare for it. The following tips and recommendations will allow you to sleep peacefully and fully.
