How much sleep do we need
- The amount of sleep we need is very individual. Age and genetics affect the individual need.
- Generally, an adult sleeps between 6½ and 7½ hours a night. Older people however sleep less.
- It has been proven that sleeping for more than 10 hours or less than 5 hours a night leads to an increased risk for illness.
- Sleep is divided into phases, the most important of which is deep sleep, when even our immune system is strengthened.
- Waking up in the middle of the night several times is not normal.
- People with depression have little or no deep sleep.
- Coffee and alcohol have a negative affect on deep sleep, as does a high room temperature.
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What happens if we sleep
too little?
- Levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, drop while you are sleeping.
- If you are suffering from a lack of sleep, cortisol will remain at a high level, thus slowing the body’s metabolism.
- People getting too little sleep experience an increased desire for sugar and fat, starch-rich food. This is caused by the level of the hormone leptin - which regulates the feeling of hunger and satisfaction - dropping as a result of lack of sleep.
- Several independent medical surveys have shown that on average 5 kg overweight is caused by lack of sleep.
- Lack of sleep is one of the causes of high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a factor that causes premature aging and shortens lives, as it wears out the body.
- Fatigue depression is almost solely caused by lack of sleep.
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Your choice of bed is important for your health
- Lack of sleep leads to stress.
- Stress leads to inferior sleep, which in turn can lead to anxiety, pain sensitivity and over time even to fatigue depression.
- Sleep is the body’s repair period.
- The body recuperates, and processes and stores information.
- A major portion of all learning occurs during sleep.
- If we sleep too little, the risk of higher levels of blood lipids also increases, which can put pressure on the heart and arteries as early as the age of 30.
- A lack of sleep has a negative effect on the body’s immune system and infection sensitivity increases.
- Too little sleep can give rise to memory and concentration difficulties and we can easily become irritated and gloomy.
- Aches and pains are often worsened as a result of lack of sleep.
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