Sleep: The Best time to Sleep and Wake Up

Author: Ushna Nawaz

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

This is the quotation we have been listening since our childhood, and maybe we all have a different understanding of this quotation. This article is to demonstrate my understanding of this quote which is followed by scientific researches. The first thing which should be explained is what sleep is and what are processes make us sleep. 

Sleep is a natural phenomenon that recurs for several hours every night; in this condition of body and mind, most parts of the nervous system are inactive, the muscles are relaxed, the eyes are closed, and our consciousness is almost suspended. Sleep works as the brain's cleaning system and filters out all the unnecessary stuff from the brain. There are two types of sleep, i.e. rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM). 

Non-Rapid eye movement sleep

           Non-rapid eye movement consists of three stages that help the individual to enter into a deep sleep from a light sleep. Stage 1 is characterized as the transformation from wakefulness to sleep, Stage 2 is the phase of light sleep before starting deep sleep, and Stage 3 is the phase of deep sleep that makes a person feels fresh in the morning. During NREM sleep following changes takes place:

• Brain activity decreases from wakefulness
• Heart rate slows down as compared to wakefulness
• The blood pressure decreases
• There is a decrease in sympathetic nerve activity
• The blood flow to the brain decreases
• The rate of respiration decreases
• There is an increase in airway resistance
• The body temperature is regulated at a lower set point
• Sexual arousal occurs frequently

Rapid eye movement sleep

           Rapid eye movement sleep is opposite from NREM sleep which is accompanied by dreaming. The average onset of this sleep is 90 minutes after the sleep cycle begins. Following changes occur during this sleep:

• The brain activity of motor and sensory areas increases
• The heart rate increases or may fluctuate 
• The blood pressure increases up to 30 percent
• The sympathetic nerve activity increases
• The change in blood flow depends on the region of the brain
• The rate of respiration increases
• The airway resistance increases 
• The body temperature is not regulated and drifts to the local environment 
• The sexual arousal is higher than NREM sleep

Healthy sleep periods relative to age

           Healthy sleep duration changes throughout the individual's life.

Significance of Sleep

           Sleep is the basic need of living beings as sleep act as the drainage system of the brain. Sleep allows the brain and muscles to relax and prepare them to be more productive when they wake up. There is an association between sleep and the endocrine system during the release of hormones such as growth hormone, prolactin, and luteinizing hormone, helping an individual in normal growth. On the other hand, secretion of some hormones such as cortisol and thyroid-stimulating hormone decreases. If a person does not sleep or get enough sleep, it will lead to high-level cortisol, which in return causes several problems. According to a study, there is a link between endocrine system dysfunction and sleep dysfunction.

            Sleep is like a gift to us as if we don’t get enough sleep, we will not be able to do our work, and it will also decline our cognitive abilities. A study explained that an individual could survive without getting enough sleep only for three days after that he will collapse. Sleep is like a drainage system; while a person is sleeping brain filters out all the unnecessary material and cleans it thoroughly. 

The best time to Sleep

           The circadian rhythms direct a wide assortment of capacities from day-by-day changes in alertness to internal heat level, digestion, and hormones' arrival. They control your planning of rest and cause you to be drowsy around evening time and your propensity to wake toward the beginning of the day without an alert. Your body's biological clock, which depends on an approximately 24-hour day, controls most circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms synchronize with natural signs (light, temperature) about the actual time of day; however, they proceed even without signals. While an individual sleeps, the human development hormone is discharged and restores your body and muscles from the stress of the day. Your immune system additionally restores itself. It might be during this phase the mind additionally revives itself for new learning the next day. Many hormones associated with stress coping are also released during sleep. As our brain gets notified about the day and night changes, it starts working according to that sign. If a person is not sleeping at night, he might face stress issues and problems related to growth and the immune system. Due to these reasons, an individual should go to bed early at night.

           The best time to wake up is right before sunrise. During this time, when the sun is about to rise, such rays are healthy for our mental abilities and cognition. These are also used to treat depressive patients. Moreover, a gadget (bulb) has been introduced to treat mental patients with the same wavelength as these rays. Therefore, a person should wake up early in the morning. 

After all this discussion, we can say that the best time to be asleep is early at night, and the best time to wake up is early in the morning. We should also develop this good habit; it will help us to be healthy.