Sleep.
Sleep, one of the most important yet the most neglected aspect of our lives.
While our health and longevity depend heavily on getting a good night of zzzs, it is increasingly neglected in twenty-first-century society. However, the "I'll sleep when I'm dead" mentra has serious ramifications. Scientists have shown that sleep deprivation comes with devastating consequences with causal links to most major diseases found in the developed world - Alzheimer's, cancer, obesity, diabetes.
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Not sleeping comes with grave consequences, so why are we still staying up way past our bedtime?
Stages of Sleep
1
NREM
5-10 minutes
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Your brain slows down
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Your heartbeat, your eye movements, and your breathing slow with it
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Your body relaxes and muscles may twitch
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Lasts for around five to 10 minutes.
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3
NREM 3
Deep Sleep
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Your muscles are completely relaxed
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Your blood pressure drops and breathing slows
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You progress into your deepest sleep
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Your body starts its physical repairs.
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Your brain consolidates declarative memories, general knowledge, facts or statistics, personal experiences, and other things you have learned
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2
NREM 2
20 minutes
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You become less aware of your surroundings
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Your body temperature drops
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Your eye movements stop
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Your breathing and heart rate become more regular
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Your brain gathers, processes, and filters new memories you acquired the previous day.
4
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​REM
90 minutes into sleeping
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Your brain lights up with activity
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Your body is relaxed and immobilized
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Your breathing is faster and irregular
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Your eyes move rapidly
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You dream
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Your emotions and emotional memories are processed and stored.
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Your brain cements information into memory
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Sleep is a Beautiful Thing
Yet somehow we never get enough.
The long-term effects of sleep deprivation are real.
Sleep deprivation on a regular basis can eventually lead to health consequences that can affect your entire body, since we need sleep, just like food and air. Our body heals itself and restores its chemical balance during sleep. It is during this period that our brains forge new thought connections and help with memory retention. Sleep deprivation leaves the brain exhausted, so it can’t perform its duties as well. You may find it more difficult to concentrate or learn new things. The signals to and from the body may be delayed, decreasing your coordination and increasing your risk for accidents. It also negatively affects your mental abilities and emotional state. You may feel more impatient or prone to mood swings, while compromising your decision-making processes and creativity.
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Noticeable signs of sleep deprivation include:
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lowered sex drive
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POOR QUALITY
Poor wake quality refers to when you seemingly slept through the night but still feel tired in the morning.
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