Sleep is vital to our health and wellbeing. Did you know that sleep is one of the most important things that keep us alive? Without it, we struggle to function. It does not take much for our brains get tired and it then becomes difficult to think clearly. Our reflexes slow down and our fine motor skills become less precise. We will stop responding emotionally to stimuli. When we miss lots of sleep, it can have serious, sometimes fatal, effects. If the depravity of sleep continues, we will experience” micro-sleeps” where the brain shuts off for 5-10 seconds at a time as it desperately seeks REM sleep (this is where we see the rapid eye movement in sleeping people and pets). This is especially dangerous because, if the depravity continues, we will lose consciousness because the brain needs a rest badly. This can be fatal.

Interestingly, in the mid-1800s, Sigmund Freud, a popular Austrian neurologist, conducted countless experiments on many topics. While many of his hypothesis has since been proved errant, he was quite brilliant for his time and often caused quite a stir with his various “findings” and discoveries. For one such experiment, Freud used rats to study sleep patterns. He realized that there are five stages of sleep; the best and deepest type of sleep is what we call a “REM sleep.” He deduced that this fifth stage is when we have dreams, and when our brains slip into the most restful sleep. He was curious and decided to see what would happen if he woke the rats up each time they drifted into their REM stage. It did not take long before the rats died.

Recent studies show that the average adult needs between 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Did you know that women actually need, on average, about 20 more minutes of sleep per night than men? Many researchers attribute this to the fact that women think, and multi-task, far more, day-to-day, than men do. Did you also know that if you live to be 67 years old, you will spend approximately 208,000 hours of your life sleeping? That equates to over 20 years sleeping – an entire 33% of your lifespan!

Do you need a sleeping disorder test?

Have you wondered why sleep is so important? Well, studies suggest that our brains need that time to recuperate and “reload” our deposits of energy. Many researchers also believe that most of your body’s growth and development occurs during your sleep. Shuteye is needed to consolidate information learned during the day as some studies show that without sleep, people tended to forget more information they learned previously. Rest helps our brains and bodies to “recharge” so they will have new energy for the next day. We also need sleep to stay in a good mood – without it, people become irritable and disorientated. In addition, sleep allows the body to replace red and white blood cells easier.

If you are having trouble sleeping, tell someone about it. A lack of sleep is not only unhealthy, but it is dangerous to both you, and those around you.

If you need help, Virtuox can assist you with a sleeping disorder test

Are you showing insomnia symptoms? If you so, you should go seek help. Visit your doctor and ask them what they recommend. The solution could be very simple. Research shows that people who go to bed directly after watching TV or being on their phones do not sleep as restfully as those who do not. Smoking cigarettes too close to bedtime has also been said to affect one’s quality of sleep. The answer could be as easy as saying no screen-time for half an hour prior to bed or smoking.

However, it could be a little more complicated. Virtuox is here to help with our sleep insomnia test. Using our high-tech insomnia tests, we will monitor your brainwaves as you sleep to figure out why you have a difficult time getting shut-eye. If being in a hospital overnight make you nervous, no problem. We offer an in-home insomnia test so you can rest in the comfort of your own bed.

VirtuOx is the leader in home sleep tests and pulse oximetry.