Sleep is a very complex process and is a process which is not fully understood even today. When a person sleeps a number of process starts –REM or the rapid eye movement sleep and NREM sleep. Most people have five to six episodes of REM sleep. REM or rapid eye movement sleep is when the person asleep is dreaming. It can be easily judged by the movement of the eyeballs. AREM session lasts for five to 30 minutes. Medicines can hamper the REM sleep which is very vital and hence sedatives can never mimic natural sleep.
Insomnia, lack of sleep, both can have a damaging effect on your psyche. Irritability and fatigue are common occurrence and recent studies have revealed that the brain could actually shrink due to lack of sleep.
Shrinking of brain may not be an accurate word to describe this phenomenon, but lack of sleep does lead to atrophy of brain. Just like other tissues and muscles in the body, the brain also needs rest to be fighting fit the next day. If a person does not have enough sleep, his brain is the most affected organ of his body.
Indeed, as the University of Oxford’s Claire E. Sexton puts it, “If improving sleep is shown to slow the rate of decline in brain volumes, this would indicate that sleep is directly beneficial to the brain, and potentially an important way to improve brain health.”
So, if you have difficulty in getting sleep add these steps to your daily routine
- Maintain a consistent sleep schedule
- Create a habitual, comforting bedtime routine—it hints the brain into preparing for sleep
- Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and comfortable
- Use a comfortable mattress and pillows
- Exercise regularly
- Avoid alcohol or nicotine or caffeine at bedtime