Sleep

Sleep is common throughout the animal kingdom. We do know there is still a lot to be leaned about sleep, despite considerable research. All animals require sleep and no permanent non sleeping species exists. Even plants and bacteria have a regular period of rest and inactivity. Humans spend one-third of their lives sleeping. Far from……

Good sleep helps us wake up feeling refreshed and alert for our daily activities. Sleep affects how we look, feel and perform on a daily basis. If sleep is cut short, the body doesn’t have time to complete all of the phases, which can leave us feeling drowsy, tired and fatigued. IMPORTANTExperts have warned that……

The amount of sleep that people require varies between individuals depending on many factors. Age is a major determinant of the quantity of sleep. The table below provides a general guide to the number of hours sleep needed through the stages of life. Children generally require more hours of sleep each day, while for most……

There are many theories about dreams including how they occur and what they may mean, if anything. Dreams may not serve any purpose at all and may be merely a by-product of two evolutionary adaptations – sleep and consciousness. The question about the function of dreaming is still unanswered. Dreams often involve the dreamer in……

Sleep debt is the cumulative effect of not getting enough sleep. Two kinds of sleep debt have been proposed: 1) partial sleep deprivation; or 2) total sleep deprivation. Partial sleep deprivation occurs when a person gets inadequate sleep for many days or weeks. Total sleep deprivation occurs when a person is kept awake for days……

Our levels of alertness and attention are influenced by our circadian rhythms, as shown in the figure below. Circadian rhythms allow us to feel more alert during the day and less alert during the evening. This is the primary reason it is difficult to stay awake at night and why we may struggle to sleep……

Effective napping is a skill, which cannot be achieved by everyone. Napping cannot replace sleep, but can assist in times of sleep debt, extreme tiredness and/or when heightened alertness is required for your safety, such as driving a car. Naps may improve subsequent performance and alertness for a period of time, ranging from 2 to……

It is estimated that 6% of the population suffer from sleep disorders. Sleep disorders may make some health conditions worse such as, heartburn, depression, asthma and heart disease. Sleep disorders are diagnosed by a GP or sleep specialist. If you are experiencing poor sleep and have some of the following symptoms, you may want to……