6 False Myths About Sleep

Sleep is attributed to a huge impact on human health. It is difficult to argue with this: everyone had feelings of lack of sleep and knows how uncomfortable it is. It is enough for you to go to bed late on the eve of the working day or not to go at all, and even a barrel of coffee will not save you from wanting to doze on the keyboard of an office computer. Nevertheless, much of what is said about sleep is fiction, distorting the daily routine and the idea of ​​a healthy lifestyle. Get ready to learn some of these myths.

8 hours for full rash

Despite the fact that this is considered the daily norm of sleep, not every person needs just such an amount of time to get enough sleep. The need for sleep for each individual and depends on its genetic characteristics. Human sleep is divided into cycles, each of which consists of five phases (4 slow and 1 fast). On average, a person has 5 cycles per night. But due to individual biological characteristics, their number varies from 4 to 6. Each cycle takes about 1.5 hours. Accordingly, someone for a rash is 6 hours long, and some have at least 9 hours.

You can sleep in less than 6 hours of sleep

Scientists have found that to fully restore the body, it is necessary to perform at least 4 sleep cycles. Given that each takes an average of 1.5 hours, then the minimum amount of sleep for normal performance is not less than 6 hours. Only 5% of the world’s population is able to function normally with less sleep. Studies show that a rare gene mutation may be one of the reasons why some people succeed. However, many are accustomed to overestimate their capabilities in the absence of the required amount of sleep. The modern rhythm of life makes people sleep less than it should be. This, in turn, accumulates fatigue and affects the quality of their life. Therefore, if you do not enter into the 1/20 part of society, which can get along with a short sleep, then do not limit yourself in this pleasant process.

Sleep needs decrease with age

The popularity of this myth is most likely due to the fact that in childhood a person sleeps more. As you grow older, the need for sleep decreases. But this process does not last forever. From the age of majority, the norm reaches a finite value and remains until the end of life. In addition, excessive employment at a certain age reduces the amount of sleep, and this gives a false sense that a person needs him less. Another reason for this judgment is the fact that older people often have trouble sleeping. According to research, almost 50% of people over 60 suffer from insomnia. This is due to the age-related weakening of the circadian rhythms, which makes the night sleep of the elderly unstable. Because of this, they make up for it with a nap during the day. In addition, the abundance of medicines that are taking people aged,

You can learn to sleep a little

For many, it is a frightening idea that a person should sleep 8 hours a day. After all, this is a third of life! Therefore, they are trying to reduce sleep time to improve their performance. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of the human body, which is arranged in such a way that for every activity there is its own ideal time: for rest, for sleeping, for engaging in creative work or sports. The level of concentration, creative thinking and even physical activity depends on it. Therefore, a certain occupation may not bring the desired result, if you dedicate him time to sleep. Moreover, the absence of the latter has a destructive effect on overall productivity. And ultimately this will lead to a deterioration in the quality of work and life. In this regard, it is much more profitable to spend the proper time for sleep, since this will save energy for a high-quality solution of cases.

You can compensate for the lack of sleep at the weekend

Some people think that small hours of sleep on weekdays can be compensated by a long stay in bed at the weekend. Think about it, if you wake up to work at 6 am every day, on Saturday you start your morning at noon. So you, of course, compensate for sleep deprivation on weekdays, but only a small part. By and large, this will not help to be more concentrated and will not enhance cognitive functions. Moreover, too much sleep at the weekend leads to a sleepy inconsistency throughout the week. This may cause you to wake up early on a Sunday, while in the middle of your work day you will experience drowsiness. The best thing you can do to compensate for the lack of everyday sleep is to normalize your life schedule.

Warm milk provokes drowsiness

The truth of this statement is the presence of amino acid tryptophan in the composition of milk, which is involved in the production of serotonin and melatonin – chemicals that affect sleep. At the same time, the amount of these elements in the composition of milk is so insignificant for an adult that its use affects drowsiness no more than a cup of tea. The same applies to other products that are associated with sleep. And even if after a hearty dinner, you feel some kind of drowsiness, it is most likely due to your satiety, and not the effect of tryptophan.