With the heart resting, there comes a time of blood pressure changing through the night for the promotion of cardiovascular health. It is also during the sleep season that the body creates hormones that can fight infections. Good sleep and quick recovery are gained through proper rest. Mood, mental health, and brain functionality are improved when quality sleep is obtained.
Let me share an interesting sleep anatomy.
The hypothalamus is a peanut-sized structure located deep in the brain. It contains a group of nerve cells whose function is to act as control centers affecting when we sleep and when we are awake. Within the hypothalamus is found the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is a cluster containing thousands of cells that receive information about light exposure coming directly from the eye, and then control our behavioral rhythm. There are people whose SCN are damaged, and it is believed that these people sleep erratically all through the day as they are not usually able to match their sleep/wake cycle with the light-dark cycle.
The medulla, pons, and midbrain are all components of the brain stem, and they actively control the transition that happens between sleeping and being awake. It also sends a signal to help relax muscles that are essential for body posture and limb movements, which is what is believed to stop us from acting out our dreams.
There was a recent study that showed that sleep plays a significant housekeeping role in eliminating toxins in the brain; these toxins are usually accumulated when you are awake. The biological composition of sleep remains a strong mystery. Sleep is actively connected to every tissue and system in the body, from the heart to the lungs, the brain, mood, disease resistance, and immune function.
There is also the thalamus, which sends and receives information from the senses to the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex is a covering of the brain that has several functions, including the interpretation and processing of short and long-term memory. During most of the stages of sleep, the thalamus tends to be quiet, giving us the chance to leave the external world. However, during REM sleep, the thalamus remains active, sending images, sounds, and other types of sensations that fill our dreams.
The pineal gland is located within the two hemispheres of the brain. It receives signals from the SCN and increases the production of the hormone melatonin, which aids sleep when light goes down. The basal forebrain, which is located close to the front and bottom part of the brain, also promotes the act of sleep and wakefulness, while a part of the midbrain functions as a system that helps us stay alert all through the day.
Some factors impact the quality of sleep that a person can get, and according to Nelson et al, the major factors that influence an individual's sleep quality are: physiological, environmental, psychological, or a combination of some of the factors. Light is a major environmental factor; exposure to light increases the amount of time it takes a person to fall asleep, and some research has shown that exposure to light hurts sleep quality. Ambient temperature and noise also significantly impact a person's sleep quality and ability to sleep on time.
Age is a significant factor for the physiological classification of sleep quality; an increase in age has been found to somehow impact sleep quality, especially its duration. Several behavioral factors significantly affect sleep quality; good examples are excessive screen time and caffeine consumption.
When we get the right amount of sleep, we become much more productive, and we can achieve even more with whatever we do. Getting a good sleep affects not just individuals, but even organizations, and they must speak about this in order to create a healthier work space and output. Individual changes can greatly impact the quality of sleep we get, and we can significantly improve sleep quality. Keeping the bedroom environment as dark as possible before bedtime, controlling noise, and room temperature will make sleep time more worthwhile.
Insufficient sleep has been proven to create a shorter attention span, a slower reaction period, poor performance, limited productivity, and burnout at the workplace. Adequate sleep promotes a greater level of creativity and faster production.
For Further Studies.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/386995938_Investigating_the_Impact_of_Sleep_Quality_on_Workplace_Productivity_An_Analysis_of_Influencing_Factors_and_Improvement_Strategies
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/public-education/brain-basics/brain-basics-understanding-sleep
https://www.openaccessjournals.com/articles/sleep-and-its-impact-on-brain-function-a-neuroscientific-perspective-18232.html
https://novoresume.com/career-blog/how-sleep-affects-productivity
Hi, I am Tobi, a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. Want to hear me speak on relationships and general life issues? You can find my YouTube channel where you can listen and watch any episode for free. Please, do not forget to subscribe, friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from here. Kindly do well to keep them coming.