Why Sleep 8 Hours?

What makes sleep deprivation so detrimental is that it doesn’t just impact one aspect of our health-it impacts others.  A deficit can compromise our immune systems, cause inflammation, lead to memory loss and weight gain, fetter reflexes and decision-making abilities, and increase the risk of chronic diseases like cancer, to say the least.

At least, 8 hours sleep is essential to our health and this is why.

Mental Alertness: A single night of sleeping only four to six hours can impact the ability to think clearly the next day.  This means that if you are sleep-deprived, you will have trouble processing information and making decisions. This is why it’s so important to get a good night’s sleep every time or prior to important events.

The Detoxification Mechanism: Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Centre while trying to find the exact function of sleep and how it affects the brain conducted a study using (mice). The result, it was found that while we nap, our brains flush out toxins built when we’re awake- allowing us to clear our heads. Hence sleep deprivation causes one to suffer the Alzheimer’s disease-that is, just because the brain was deprived the opportunity to detoxify. So these harmful properties not cleared out, are linked to Alzheimer’s.

Memory declines: The process of brain growth, or neuroplasticity, is believed to underlie your brain’s capacity to control behaviour, learning and recollection. However, sleep and lack of it modify the expression of several genes that may be important for ‘synaptic’ plasticity, (a structure that permits a neuron (or nerve cell) to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another neuron). This therefore suggests that synaptic connections are strengthened while you slumber.

Immune health deteriorates: Sleep deprivation has the same effect on your immune system as physical stress or illness, which also explains why lack of sleep is tied to an increased risk of various chronic diseases. For example; as said earlier; sleeping less than six hours per night more than triples your risk of high blood pressure, and women who get less than four hours of nap, per night, double their chances of dying from heart disease.

What you eat affects your sleep also: Diets low in fibre and high in sugar are linked with poor sleep quality and more sleep interruptions. Eat a healthy low carb diet that includes lots of fresh vegetables for fibre and nutrients every day. Also, keep in mind that water will increase the need to urinate during the night. Therefore, it’s best to eat during the day and early evening rather than late in the evening. And, minimize your water intake leading up to bed to avoid frequent urination which of course interrupts sleep.