We know that people have busy schedules and sometimes we can be tempted to push ourselves to keep going. These days there are so many products on the market that can help us add hours to our day and get more done. Whether its to work that extra job, finish all that housework after a full day on the job, go out with all of our friends, stay up to watch a late night show on TV or all of the above, there are many pills, energy drinks, energy shots, caffeine drinks and energy boosts that will keep our bodies going and let us do everything we want.
While this may seem like a dream come true and everything must be alright if our body is allowing us to keep going, the effects that we cannot readily see is that the part of us that needs sleep the most is our BRAIN. Those energy drinks might be allowing our bodies to keep going and allowing us to feel like we are awake but when the prefrontal cortex (subpart of the frontal lobe of the brain) is compromised by lack of sleep you can start experiencing some pretty bad effects.Think of it this way, your brain is like a computer that runs your entire body. If you allow your computer to overheat and it starts getting errors, what are you going to do? You can’t risk waiting for it just to crash and possibly losing everything.
Medical studies have proven that lack of sleep has caused hallucinations and distorted perceptions or experiences that seem to be very real to the person experiencing them. These hallucinations or sensations are not just visual, they can be felt, smelled, heard, tasted or seen. They only exist in the mind and are not caused or triggered by any physical stimuli.
The question that now remains is how much sleep are you getting? Do you get full, unbroken and restful nights sleep every night? Are you allowing your brain to recharge adequately?
While there are many various factors that should be taken into consideration when deciding how much sleep each individual should have, these are the general guidelines as recommended by the Mayo Clinic:
Infants 14 to 15 hoursToddlers 12 to 14 hoursSchool-age children 10 – 11 hoursAdults 7 – 9 hours
If you are not getting enough sleep you should try to adjust your schedule to give your brain the time it needs to recharge. If you are having trouble getting to sleep or unable to get a restful sleep we recommend you seek the assistance of a medical professional.