How many hours should we sleep?

Although it is advisable to sleep eight hours, there will always be exceptions and who need more or less time to be fully rested

There are so many things to do and so little time... but if I go to bed late and I get up very early have taken advantage of well my day. How many times will we have stolen will we hours to sleep? And Yes, at first all is well but then, perhaps days later, we feel a weird exhaustion, we can not concentrate, forget things and even our skin looks somewhat faded. Do not understand why? Because contrary to what you've always thought the sleep period is a time well spent.

And not enough to do it two or three hours to recover, the body needs a number of hours a day to rest, recover and perform various metabolic and regenerative functions. Continue reading this article and you will explain how many hours should sleep.

Why do we sleep?

The transition from wakefulness to sleep is a natural and cyclical process during which changes in the secretion of hormones, the intensity of metabolism and cardiovascular, respiratory functions and thermoregulators (temperature adjustment). Our dream is divided into five stages that vary throughout the night:

Sleep stages

1) drowsiness or sleepiness
This stage lasts only a few minutes. It is this period that we are falling asleep, but any noise, minimum that is can return to wake us up. Our body begins to relax and slow eye movements on an intermittent basis can appear.
(2) light sleep
This is one of the strangest periods because it is possible that we speak and respond and the next day not remember what happened. Our body continues to relax.
(3-4) slow or deep sleep
Stages 3 and 4 are slow or deep sleep where muscle tone is very diminished, respiratory rate is low and regular and blood pressure and heart rate decrease, as they increase gastrointestinal movements. During this period of sleep the secretion of the growth hormone (primarily in puberty), as well as the secretion of hormones (FSH and LH), gonadotrophic responsible for the process of ovulation and sperm formation, rises suddenly respectively. So it is very important that we are not awakened during these stages.
(5) paradoxical sleep
It is characterized by the emergence of rapid eye movements and the contraction of the muscles in the middle ear. It is the stage where occur dreams, where there is lots of brain activity, irregular increases in cardiorespiratory frequency, decrease in body temperature, increased secretion of prolactin (which influences the progesterone), erection of the penis and the clitoris turgor.
As you see each of the stages of sleep is essential for your body to rest and recover after a day of activity. The hormones that are released during this period greatly influence our general State as the culmination of the digestion process allows the absorption of nutrients and energy obtaining.

How many hours should we sleep?

The amount of hours we need to sleep varies with age, but according to numerous studies with the exception of the newborn babies and children very small, people must sleep 8 hours to be at our maximum capacity the next day. There are various sleep disorders, but normally we don't pay attention to the bad sleeping until the consequences are too serious. Then I present some of them: consequences of not getting enough sleep:

Exhaustion

Not getting enough sleep causes exhaustion, increases stress levels and promotes the accumulation of toxins, or your body cannot answer you as you need on the following day. You will feel tired, slow and very sleepy.

Diseases

Lack of sleep causes metabolic disorders that threaten your health. Most worryingly, there is an increase in the likelihood of suffering cardiovascular problems, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus.

Memory and creativity

Don't sleep all that we need to not allow our brain to sort and record all the information that you received during the day, therefore it may cause alterations in the memory, lack of concentration, changes of mood, bad mood, irritability, decreased reflexes, behavior and learning disabilities and depression. If we have a good night's sleep as the experts will produce new and innovative ideas.

Infections

Not getting enough sleep can depress your immune system making you susceptible to attack bacteria and viruses.

Aesthetics

The lack of rest is reflected in your skin which looks irritated and withered, since cell regeneration does not occur properly.

Your eyes

You need to sleep to rest your eyes, so avoid having red eyes, dark circles and eye problems.

Breathing

If you do not sleep as long as you need to you can be affecting your cell oxygenation.

Lose weight

When the body does not rest enough tends to the accumulation of fat in the belly region. A well-rested body helps keep the weight and even lose it given that sleep affects our appetite and nutrient assimilation.

Taking care of yourself always

Remember that sleep well, for the recommended 8 hours will bring you many benefits, not only you will rest but also:

• You will restore energy levels you need to face the stage of vigil.
• You'll increase blood to the stomach and bowel irrigation so that you have a proper digestion.
• You decrease your stress and regenerarás your brain cells, by which the following day you will feel more awake and with a greater capacity to learn and memorize.
• You attachment the Elimination of toxic substances.
• You will activate your immune system and you favorecerás the production of antibodies, i.e. you'll you less.
• You stimulate the production of sex cells.
• Your body tissues, especially the skin will regenerate.
• And if you want a long life and healthy nothing better than sleep time daily, physical exercise and a balanced diet. According to experts, that is the secret.

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