Sleep is an extremely important component of physical and emotional health and well-being. If you’re curious as to why sleep is such a necessity, check out this previous article.
The lack of or disruption of sleep, a phenomenon called insomnia, is prevalent across nations [1]. Insomnia is one of eight sleep challenges we have previously discussed. The general consensus from population-based studies is that 30% of adults experience one or more of the symptoms of insomnia, which include difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep, waking too early, and poor sleep quality [2].
There has been an increase in the prevalence of insomnia since the COVID-19 pandemic [3]. Unfortunately, insomniacs rarely discuss their symptoms with a physician, and 4 out of 10 insomniacs self-medicate with over-the-counter drugs or alcohol [2].
During sleep, many of the systems of the body (i.e., nervous, endocrine, skeletal, muscular, and immune) are in a state of anabolism ("building up"), which promotes restoration and healing. With that said, the most pronounced physiological changes during sleep occur in the brain, which further underlines the role of sleep in cognition, mood, and memory [4]. Therefore, any disruptions to the process of sleep, whether they be getting to sleep and/or remaining asleep, can have far-reaching consequences for overall health and wellness.
Sleep is a hugely important restorative process for humans as well as all organisms across the animal kingdom. It is absolutely essential for the body, mind, memory, and learning [1]. The brain, in particular, produces metabolic end-products such as reactive oxygen species that can damage and impair the function of brain cells. It is during sleep that these damaging end-products are cleared [2]. In addition, anabolic hormones are preferentially released during sleep (such as the growth hormone) that aid in the physical restoration process.
