For us, sleep is a physiological habit, and a good night's sleep is an essential lesson we cannot do without. Adequate sleep plays a positive role in preventing diseases, treating illnesses, and repairing bodily wear and tear.
1. Benefits of Sleep for the Body
During sleep, various physiological functions in the body reach their lowest point. Heart rate slows down, blood pressure decreases, breathing becomes steady, metabolism slows down, and body temperature drops. This helps to compensate for and repair tissue damage, eliminate overall fatigue, accumulate more energy, coordinate various physiological abilities, relax the mind, maintain normal endocrine function, and give the cardiovascular, digestive, and respiratory systems a chance to rest and enhance immune function. It also helps keep the mind clear, emotions stable, and greet a new day with a good mental state.
2. Effects of Poor Sleep on People
Lack of sleep can lead to increased sympathetic nerve excitement, high blood pressure, faster heart rate, loss of appetite, drowsiness, mental irritability, and restlessness. It can also lead to difficulty falling asleep or having shallow sleep, easy awakening, and vivid dreams. If blood pressure remains high, it is often difficult to bring it back to normal with medication, and this can create a vicious cycle, making it susceptible to various diseases and greatly detrimental to health.
Poor sleep can also lead to many tragic incidents that should not happen, such as fatigue-related accidents caused by sleep deprivation while driving. Australian scientists have found that a lack of deep sleep is one of the causes of early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
3. The Role of Napping
In our country, there is a tradition of taking afternoon naps. Every spring and summer, the administrative working hours in our country are extended by 1-2 hours to allow for sufficient nap time. Ancient people referred to napping as "daytime sleep", and there is a saying that "it is better to know how to sleep than to know how to eat; sleep during the day when you are sleepy, and sleep at night when it's time to sleep". Medical researchers have found that humans have two physiological sleep periods during which they feel the greatest need for sleep: one is nighttime sleep, and the other is nap time.
Napping aligns with the body's biological clock rhythm. It can double alertness in the brain. Napping can eliminate "fatigue factors" in the body, revitalize tissue cells, relax the mind, promote digestion, and enhance immune function.
Whether it's napping or nighttime sleep, both play a crucial role in our bodies. Nighttime sleep helps us complete metabolism and maintain physical health, while napping restores energy and replenishes strength for better work and study in the afternoon. However, it is important to note that napping should not be too long, as it can make a person even more tired.
