Why Sleep? – Some ambitious and energetic people think sleeping is a waste of time. There is so much to do and they want to do it all and right now. They can get away with it for a while but eventually their body will rebel. Bodies work better when allowed to follow their natural rhythm. For 8 hours out of 24, they have important work to do and no time is wasted. We look and feel better and last longer when we go to sleep and give our bodies time to work their magic.

Our sleep patterns alternate rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) throughout the night. Your body needs enough time to work through all phases. Wake up before completion and you deprive yourself of the important rejuvenating benefits.

Non-rapid eye movement is 75% of sleep time. In stage 1, we go from falling asleep to a light sleep. Stage 2 finds us in a deep sleep, unaware of our surroundings. Our heart and breathing is regular and our body temperature drops a little. In stage 3 and 4 our muscles are relaxed and systems slower. Now the restorative process begins in earnest. The body releases hormones to repair muscles and increase blood supply to muscles is. Growth and repair of tissue takes place. During this time, we are getting a boost to our energy.

Rapid eye movement is 25% of sleep time and cycles every 90 minutes or so. The brain is active and energized. This is when we dream and prepare for the daytime tasks. At this point, we are in sleep paralysis. Our body is immobile and completely relaxed. Hormones are released that balancing our appetite and make us alert upon awakening. The whole sleep process has boosted our immunity to disease.

Sleeping is not a waste of time. Our bodies are fine machines that need a thorough tune-up every night. Tune up your body and mind even more with a better night sleep on a Live and Sleep mattress. The other 16 hours in our day will be more productive, healthy and happy because of a full night of sleep.

This website is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. Live & Sleep is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of this website. Always consult your own GP if you’re in any way concerned about your health.