The brain is Tired But Can’t Sleep

The Importance of Sleep

Me at 11:00 pm – I’m tired, let’s go to sleep.

My Brain: lol no, let’s stay awake for the whole night and discuss your life.

Me: not interested, just let me go to sleep

Brain: let me play your favorite songs from old music

Me: no..not today.

At 12:00am

Brain: I know you are trying hard to sleep. Let’s recall every idiotic decision you have made so far, your unresolved issues or things you should have said or done today or in the past years.

Me: Okay (And this is how my sleep flies away).

Every time, when I really need sleep, my mind doesn’t shush which affects my daily lifestyle. Sleep is one of the things that we do every day. That’s a different thing that many youngsters complete 8 hours of sleep in 2 or 3 days. Knowing the fact that regular sleep is important to function better the next day. If you are really eager to know more about the fascinating world of sleep, then you have to read further…

Have you ever thought that why do you sleep and how it helps us?

No specific reason has been explained why do we sleep. But there are some biological reasons which we will discuss in this article.

Why Sleep is important?

What is the importance of sleep?

How sleep helps us in various ways?

So let’s know the importance of sleep through important points.

We conserve our energy

Energy conservation theory says we sleep to conserve our energy and to reduce caloric requirements. While sleeping, the metabolic rate drops. According to studies, 8 hours of sleep can produce a daily energy savings of 35 percent over complete wakefulness.

Sleep and let the body restore

The restorative theory says that we have to sleep to restore our bodies. As it helps our cells to repair and regrow such as:

1. It repairs our muscles
2. Protein synthesis
3. Growth of our tissues
4. Hormone release
5. Proper Brain functioning

Accordingly to brain plasticity theory, sleep is needed for proper brain functioning. It allows neurons to reorganize.

When we sleep, our brain’s glymphatic system cleans the cached data from the central nervous system. It removes all the negativity from our brain which builds up throughout the day. So that the brain can work well when we wake up.

Emotional stability

Sleep is necessary to stay emotionally stable. When we sleep, the activity of the brain increases in areas that controls emotion, therefore, regular sleep supports healthy brain functioning and emotional stability.

Regions of the brain become active includes:

• Amygdala
• Striatum
• Hippocampus
• Insula
• Medial prefrontal cortex

Immunity

If you get enough sleep then your immune system is more likely to be healthy and strong. That’s why sleep is so important when we are stressed. During such time, the body requires even more immune cells and proteins.

What does your brain do when you Sleep?

At night, your body rests but not your mind. When you are ready to go to sleep, your brain sends signals to the different regions of the brain that it’s time to stop making you feel awake and start shutting your system. Your activities of moving, start to slow down. At that time, you are in non-rapid eye movement sleep.

When you are in deep sleep that you are not aware of the world around you. Now the brain-controlled eye movements, let the body temperature to drop and brain waves get slow. At this stage of NREM sleep. You are in the deepest and most restorative sleep. The brain has told the body to let your blood pressure drop, calm your breathing, and relax your body muscles. In deep sleep, the brain helps in tissue repair and muscle development. Finally, you experience rapid eye movement that boosts your brain and body. Your brain is most active during REM sleep, this is also when you have dreams in your sleep.

The Importance of Sleep

Sleep is an important thing to do in our daily life. But if you don’t have enough hours of sleep then your body and brain can temporarily shut off. So, adequate sleep is necessary to:

Keeps you Alert. Regular and also enough sleep helps your brain to regain concentration and use different sort of tactics to tackle tricky mental problems. Good sleep can help you to be more creative.

Boost your Memory. To give a proper shape to your memories, sleep time plays a pivotal role. It connects feelings and experiences. Sleep is a need to open new learning and memory paths in the brain.

Fight from Infection. Sleep helps your body to get rid of infections. When you don’t have enough sleep, your immune system gets weaker and you easily suffer from various infections.

Be More Active. After getting enough sleep, your energy levels are higher and mental awareness gets more acute. Also, improve your athletic performance.

Replenish your body. When you sleep, your body repairs the damage caused by stress, anxiety, and other harmful exposure, as well as muscle injuries and another kind of traumas.

What if we don’t sleep?

The doctors urge to get enough sleep for some good reason. Less sleep or no sleep has a negative impact on your health in various ways:

Sleep deprivation

In short, sleep deprivation is caused by a constant lack of sleep or reduced it to some extent. Less than 7 hours of sleep on a normal basis can affect your entire body. The sleep disorder can be the underlying cause of sleep deprivation.

Sleep is as important as air and food to function properly. During sleep, the body repairs itself and restores its chemical balance. Without getting enough sleep, the brain and body systems won’t function as you want them to. It can automatically reduce the quality of your life.

A study in 2010 revealed that not enough sleep at night can increase the risk of early death and I don’t think you want it.

Symptoms of sleep deprivation are:

• Excessive sleepiness
• Frequent yawning
• Irritability
• Daytime fatigue

Caffeine is a stimulant that can make sleep deprivation worse for you by making it harder to fall asleep at night. This may lead to insomnia. Also, chronic sleep deprivation can interfere with your body’s internal systems and cause more than just the symptoms mentioned above.

Central nervous system

Sleep is important to keep your nervous system function properly, but chronic insomnia can disturb the way your body usually sends and processes information. While in sleep, pathways form between neurons in your brain that help you remember new information you’ve learned. It leaves your brain exhausted and tired, so it can’t work properly. You may have difficulty in focusing on new things, affects your mental abilities and emotional state are some problems caused in the nervous system by sleep deprivation. Also, if it continues, a person can have hallucinations, can trigger mania in people who have a bipolar mood disorder.

Psychological risks are:

• Impulsive behavior
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Paranoia
• Suicidal thoughts

Digestive system and Sleep Connection

Sleep deprivation is one of the reasons to make a person overweight and obese. The level of two hormones- leptin and ghrelin- is affected by sleep which regulates feelings of hunger and fullness in our body. Leptin is the one who tells your brain that you had enough food. Without enough hours of sleep, the brain reduces leptin and ghrelin gets higher which is an appetite stimulant. Sleep deprivation is the reason that your body releases less insulin after you eat. Insulin helps to decrease your blood sugar level.

Cardiovascular system

If you don’t sleep enough then you are more likely to get cardiovascular disease. Insomnia can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke in your body.

Prevention

Get enough sleep, this is the best way to prevent sleep deprivation. Follow the given guidelines for your age group, which is 7 to 9 hours for most adults ages 18 to 64.

Ways to get back on the right track:

• Taking naps in the afternoon can increase your performance.
• Don’t consume caffeine in past noon or before going to bed.
• Try to go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time in the morning.
• Try to sleep at the same time on weekends and holidays
• Before going to bed, do some relaxing activities, such as reading, meditating, or taking a bath.
• Have a light meal within a few hours before going to bed.
• Right before going to bed, avoid using devices.
• Do exercises regularly, not before going to bed

If still you continue to have problems sleeping at night then, talk to your doctor.

Treatment for sleep deprivation

Generally, 7 to 9 hours each night can recover you from sleep deprivation. This is the most easier way. If you don’t feel any improvement then, you may need help from your doctor who can diagnose and treat your issues. Sleep deprivation can make it hard to get good sleep.

Most common types of sleep disorders:

• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Narcolepsy
• Restless leg syndrome
• Insomnia
• Circadian rhythm disorders

Your doctor may order a sleep study to diagnose these conditions. Normally it is held at a formal sleep center to treat sleep disorders, but nowadays, sleep quality can be measured at homes, too.

Conclusion

Sleep is very important. I love to sleep and who doesn’t. After sleeping for hours, makes me feel like I’m reborn. At that moment, I can conquer the world with my creativity. Sleep is the only solution to avoid unwanted things in my life. It’s really important to restore your energy, to be strong to face your problems. If you are not having enough sleep, then start with the small naps. It will really help you, also it will improve your performance.