Self-care and sleep

Self-care and sleep

What is Sleep?
Sleep is a state that is characterized by changes in brain wave activity, breathing, heart rate, body temperature, and other physiological functions.

Depending on the sleep stage, different physiological functions may be more active and variable (for example, during REM sleep), or less active and more stable (for example, during NREM sleep).

REM Sleep: happens 90 minutes after you fall asleep and you can have intense dreams since your brain is more active

NREM: It is easy to wake up, your heart rate slows and your body temperature drops. This means that your body is getting ready to sleep. during this stage the body strengthens the immune system, builds muscle and bones, and repairs and grows tissue.

Sleep and Public Safety

Investigators have found that sleep deprivation was an important factor in the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl in 1986

Scientific research is discovering, how sleep loss, and poor-quality sleep, can lead to errors at the workplace, reduced productivity, and disasters that cost both lives and resources. Awareness can be a key factor to help you recover your sleep habits, your safety and others’ safety.

Sleep and disease risk

Usually people do not think about the cost of poor sleep. It is actually higher than many people think: it may have deep consequences for our long-term health.

Research has discovered that people who regularly fail to get enough sleep have higher chances of getting a chronic disease, and scientists are now beginning to understand why.

Treating sleep as a priority, rather than a luxury, may be an important step in preventing a number of chronic medical conditions.

The Biological Clock

There are two different systems that interact to regulate when we sleep and when we are awake. These systems are the sleep homeostat and wake homeostat. They monitor how much we need to sleep based on how long we have been awake. Then there is also the circadian system which regulates exactly when we sleep and wake every 24 hours.

When to Seek Treatment

Sometimes a change on behavior or your routine is not enough. If you are having a specific problem when sleeping that goes for a long period of time, you should consult it with a sleep specialist. If you are diagnosed with a sleep disorder, it is very important to get treatment since sleep disorders are usually chronic and can lead to other complications.

If you are concerned about your sleep you can take this survey to have an idea of what is going on with your sleep routine: http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/getting/treatment/sleep-disorders-screening-survey

Isabella Mejia