Sleep has always been one of the great mysteries of our species. It is as necessary to us as eating and breathing. Yet, for the longest time, we never really knew why our bodies needed sleep. From an evolutionary standpoint, sleep is not a beneficial survival tool for any species. It leaves you open to attack from predators and essentially renders you unproductive for a large period of time.

Despite the glaring drawbacks of sleep nearly every species on the planet still needs it. And the few that don’t sleep in the traditional sense still require some form of rest. So what is it that makes sleep so vital to existence that we never evolved beyond it? What happens within our mind and body while we sleep?

For the longest time these questions remained unanswered. We knew the benefits of sleep from first hand experience. But now, thanks to modern medical technology, we have a better understanding of how sleep benefits us.

What We Get From Sleep

You are most likely aware of what it feels like to get a good night’s sleep. Your mind is sharper and more focused. You have more energy. Your mood is elevated and you just generally feel ready to face the day. Whereas when we don’t get enough sleep we are grumpy, fatigued, more prone to stress, and generally physically weaker.

We also get a lot of emotional benefits from sleep. The subconscious mind is most actively accessed during sleep. The moments when we are about to fall asleep and the minutes after we wake up are when we can best access the subconscious. It is where a lot of creatives get their best ideas. But it is also a tool that is used in a lot of therapy courses as well. Dream therapy is a powerful tool for better understanding the issues someone is facing.

Sleep And Growth

Sleep plays a pivotal role in the growth of our bodies. It is why babies sleep so much throughout the day. This is because the growth hormones in our body are released while we sleep. Recent studies have also suggested that this is the reason teenagers are often depicted as being lazy. When our bodies go through puberty it undergoes the most radical changes since the transition into being a toddler. So it makes sense that we would need more sleep during our teenage years.

And this is also why sleep deprivation and insomnia are so dangerous during our most developmental years. A severe lack of sleep can seriously impede our growth. But what exactly is insomnia?

Insomnia

The term insomnia is often misunderstood. People will use it if they have had a few restless nights of sleep. But Insomnia is a far more serious problem that affects millions of people. Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep. And the ramifications of it are serious. Because without sleep our brains cannot form the neural pathways that allow us to function.

Insomnia can lead to depression, weight loss, chronic fatigue, and a number of other serious health issues. It can also be a symptom of a wide range of issues as well. So, if you are suffering from Insomnia, it should not be ignored. Most cases of insomnia can be fixed by adjusting your sleeping habits. But more serious cases will often require a sleep study to find the root issue.

There are numerous locations throughout the United States that offer sleep studies. You can get a sleep study at Michigan sleep center that can narrow down exactly what you need to adjust within your lifestyle to ensure you are getting enough sleep. During these studies they will check your diet and exercise habits as well as monitoring your brain while you sleep.

Getting Good Sleep

So how can we improve the quality of our sleep? There are a lot of things most people do during the day that can negatively affect their sleep. One of the biggest culprits is technology. The blue light produced by most modern screens has a direct impact on the brain’s ability to fall asleep. So it is recommended that you avoid looking at any screens at least an hour before you plan on falling asleep.

Nicotine and caffeine are also two of the biggest offenders. Both of these chemicals are stimulants that will either stop you falling asleep or drastically reduce the quality of your sleep. So it is also recommended that you avoid consuming either of these chemicals for at least a few hours before you are planning to sleep.