Why we Sleep
*This article is written at a basic level so that everyone can understand it.
I like sleeping. I like sleeping so much that I won’t be offended if you fall asleep while reading this article. In fact, I would even encourage it.
Sleep is so much more than just a good night’s rest.
Sleep is when our body heals wounds, it’s when our brain flushes out metabolic waste, and it’s when our brain reinforces what we learned during the day.
Sleep is when we adapt according to our exercise, it’s when our brain discards emotional trauma, and it’s when we dream of things for better and for worse.
And so much more!
One of my favorite facts about sleeping is that our brain replays new and important pathways 20x faster than while we are awake. This is how we “learn” what is a valuable skill. This is also why we will often struggle to perform a skill one evening, such as playing an instrument or playing a sport, and then the next day we are suddenly able to do the skill much better.
Who could have guessed that our brains are more active when we sleep than when we are awake?
What really got me excited about the science of sleep was a book that I read.
“Why we Sleep” was written by Matthew Walker, a scientist who studies sleep. It was an excellent read to say the least. At times it was exciting. It was always informative. And other times I found it a helpful aid for achieving the title of the book.
If I was to boil down the entirety of this book which artfully describes all of the science behind sleep, what sleep does, and why it’s valuable, I would say that it helped me value sleep as a precious resource rather than something taken for granted. Now, rather than going to sleep because I feel like I must, I look forward to sleeping the night away knowing that I’m investing in my own body and health. I can even use it as a tool to achieve my goals.
For the curious or the tired- here is the link to the book above:
https://www.amazon.ca/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams
And for the rest of us who have shorter attention spans, I’d like to show you a less than 5 minute video that was shared with me:
In this video, Rhonda Patrick- a scientist who presents on numerous human health topics, walks us through one of the reasons of why we sleep. She talks about the evidence for how sleep is neuroprotective. It keeps our brains healthy.
This video on how sleep prevents brain decline reminds me of the many famous hand workers who were known to brag about how little sleep they could get per night. Examples including Margaret Thatcher, or Ronald Reagan. Many of these people went on to develop Alzheimer’s disease at an early age and the connection seems clear.
If you have ambition for getting more hours of sleep during the evenings, or you want some help getting more sleep- you are not alone! Many people get less than the recommended 8 hours of sleep per night, whether they want to or not. In fact, as we age we all become worse sleepers. Our brains actually get worse at using the mechanisms for sleeping in the first place.
The good news is that sleep can be practiced just like any other skill. Using certain tips and tricks, we can convince our bodies to sleep more, less, or just the right amount.
Take a look at the handout of “Twelve Tips for Healthy Sleep” that I uploaded in the resources section of this site. If you like it, give it a download to keep on your fridge. It’s free :)
If you’d like to talk more about your health, including your sleep, please don’t hesitate to give me a shout.
