The importance of sleep

Through today's article, I would like to focus on sleep. In fact, most people on earth have ever had sleep disturbances: lack of sleep, insomnia, difficulties to fall asleep… etc.

Humans are part of the diurnal specie and we naturally live the day while we sleep at night. If we assume that we sleep 8 hours (per day) in average, and that we live 80 years, it would mean that we spend 26 years and a half to sleep in our life.

RESEARCHES

A meta-analysis conducted by Chiara Baglioni & Al (2016) over mental disorders due to sleep revealed that “sleep alterations were evidenced in all disorders.” They add that sleep depth and REM (paradoxical sleep) were linked with “affective, anxiety, autism and schizophrenia disorders.”

Another meta-analysis from George A Kelley & Kristi Sharpe Kelley (2017) add exercise to sleeps study. Indeed, they wanted to highlight to outcomes of quality sleep by exercising. Their conclusion is that it did so, with overall better sleep quality.

Therefore, there are bigger issues such as dementia that can be pointed out. Indeed, in 2018 Le Shi & Al (2018) found that people who experiences sleep disturbances were likely to get Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia. There are high risks to develop such diseases, that’s why the optimization of sleep environments and early prevention are key to face those incidents.

Nevertheless, we have to stay careful about data. Indeed, Gonzalo G Alvarez & Najib T Ayas (2004) emphasised that an “increased (over 8 hours per day) or reduced (less than 7 hours per day) sleep duration are at modestly increased risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and developing symptomatic diabetes.” Data need to be add, but the idea beyond a certain duration of sleep is that it has to be part of a “healthful lifestyle”.

There are plenty of problems regarding our sleep quality: artificial lights such as the one emitted from the screens (blue light), pressure of our daily activities, mental or physical stress, chronic pains, drugs or medications, a partner who snores, and any other environmental factors…

Problems that lead to serious health issues such as obesity, diabetes, fertility issues, tummy troubles, irritability and mood swings, headaches, changes in circadian cycle but also difficulties to concentrate… etc.