Sleep Is Essential For Brain Development

Everyone has the occasional sleepless night due to an illness, injury, stress, or otherwise. Having trouble sleeping regularly though, is a problem that requires treatment. Human beings are so reliant on sleep for basic mental and bodily functioning and when this sleep is disrupted if affects us in more ways than we know.

Neuroscientists now believe sleep is essential for proper brain development and also has an effect on how we perceive our world when we are awake. Our brain converts our experiences into a more permanent form which is stored in our brains as memory and lack of sleep can interfere with this process. Sleeping problems are also linked to mental disorders such as depression, Alzeimer&undefined;s disease, and schizophrenia. Scientists believe that sleep gives our bodies the chance to repair our bodies and minds as it is impossible to do this when we are still using our bodies. Lack of sleep not only puts stress on the body but it also impairs our basic functioning. Sleep deprivation leads to impaired reaction time, delays in speech, and leads us to make decisions we would not normally make as the human brain cannot function properly without adequate amounts of sleep. In fact, our basic biological need to sleep is so great that our bodies sometimes simply shut down which can be deadly. A prime example of this is when over tired drivers fall asleep at the wheel causing an automobile accident. A human being can only go so long without sleeping before the body simply shuts down.

Adults need about 7-8 hours of restful sleep every night and children need even more. If you have a sleeping problem, try natural sleep aids such as chammomile tea, meditation, yoga, hot baths, or melatonin .