Time to get those ZZZZZZZZZ's

Some people find sleeping to be their favorite thing to do, while others might barely get enough sleep daily. Sleeping is crucial for the body to grow, repair, and improve brain function. 

The recommended sleep time is 9-11 for school aged children (ages 6-13), and 8-10 for teens (ages 14-17). If you don’t get enough sleep, it can lead to grogginess, inattentiveness, and slower reaction time. If you’re in school, the quality of their school performance may drop by leading to worse cognitive function, including poor memory, focus, and decision-making, with some comparable to alcohol intoxication. Long-term lack of sleep can increase your chances of high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease. Some ways to tell if you’re getting enough sleep is feeling refreshed and the ability to get through the day without frequently feeling the need to nap or consuming caffeine.

Dreams

Scientists and philosophers still don’t know much about dreams, but what they do know is that most people dream every time they fall asleep, around two hours or so, whether they remember it or not. In one research study, scientists made a rudimentary dream content map, where they can track what people are dreaming about in real time. The contents are then backed up by the dreamer’s reports after waking up.

Vivid dreams that we remember most commonly occur during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. While humans can still dream in non-REM sleep, they’re harder to recall and contain more mundane content. 

Some specific dreams can possibly hint at certain things: Dreams involving flying may signal confidence or sense of freedom. Being chased can represent that you’re trying to escape a fear or a problem in your life. Teeth falling out may signal stress and/or anxiety. 

While most researchers claim that dreams are essential for physical and mental well-being, some scientists say that dreaming doesn’t serve a purpose at all. 

Sleep Walking

Sleep walking takes place during stage 3 non-REM sleep (deepest part of sleep and hardest to wake up), and when your motor system and your body are awake, but your brain is not. During sleep walking, your brain doesn’t smoothly transition into the deepest stage of sleep, causing the part that controls the motor system to wake up when the part of your brain that is responsible for being conscious is not. Based on habit and great familiarity of their home layout, sleepwalkers can navigate through their living space partially-asleep without issues. Fevers, high anxiety and stress, and sleep deprivation can increase the chance of sleep walking. 

Key Takeaways

• Sleep is crucial for both physical and mental health, so getting enough every night is something to keep in mind

• Sleep deficiency can lead to inattentiveness, poor judgment and emotional control

• One way to help with high-quality sleep is with the 10-3-2-1 rule: stop caffeine ten hours before bed, large meals/alcohol three hours before, work two hours before, and screens away an hour before can increase quality of sleep