Sleep often takes a back seat to our daily lives, with the constant stress of deadlines, getting enough exercise and maintaining a social life are, too often, front and centre. Lack of sleep can make you feel lethargic and can dull your reactions. As previously stated we suggest eight hours sleep a night to allow the body to recuperate and mind to rest, but research has shown the explicit role of sleep in the formation of memories.
Researchers have discovered two types of sleep that operate within a complete sleep cycle, these are REM, which is an acronym for rapid eye movement sleep, and NREM, which is non rapid eye movement sleep. NREM sleep has four stages that begin the process as we nod off, allowing our body to relax and our minds to become still. During these stages our body is given the opportunity to repair from the previous day’s exercise. As NREM form the first stages of the cycle it allows our bodies to heal, but cutting this sleep short deprives our minds of its potential to function at its best.
REM allows the Hippocampus in our brain to consolidate the day’s memories and allows for the brain’s plasticity to adapt and learn. REM is prevalent and observable within babies. During our first years our eyes, ears, nose and tongues process vast quantities of information and babies require REM sleep to establish memories and sort the stimulus information. As we develop into adults, our sleep priorities are resting the body, but we still need that crucial REM sleep to feel revitalised and mentally adept.
Sleep is crucial to human development. It helps to maintain a positive lifestyle and mental state. A full eight hours is required for our minds and bodies to find harmony, allowing us to wake fully refreshed and happy.