Sleep is such a vital necessity to our bodies; 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 become slower and our fine motor skills become less precise. We will stop responding emotionally to stimuli. However, when we miss a lot of sleep, it can have serious, sometimes fatal effects. If the depravity of sleep continues, we will experience ”micro-sleeps” where our brains shut off for 5 – 10 seconds at a time as it desperately seeks REM sleep. This is especially dangerous or fatal because if it continues, you will lose consciousness because the brain needs a rest badly.
In the mid-1800s, Sigmund Freud, who was 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 deducted 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.
Studies show that the average adult needs between 7 to 9 hours of sleep a day while children need more. The daily amount of sleep depends on the child’s age. The average toddler needs about 11 to 14 hours of sleep a day while a school-aged child requires 9 to 11 hours, and a teenager should have 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night.
Did know that if you live to be 67 years old, you will spend about 208,000 hours of your life sleeping? That equates to just over 20 years sleeping – an entire 33% of your lifespan!
What happens, though, if you struggle to sleep? Some children even have trouble sleeping. Taking a home sleep test will help to determine what the issues are.
A sleep study at home could save lives!
Studies suggest that our brains need sleep 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. Shut eye 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. Lack of sleep is not only unhealthy, but it is dangerous to both you, and those around you.
If your child struggles with the following issues, a sleep study at home might help.
If your child has morning headaches, depression, mood swings, learning or memory issues, concentration problems, personality changes, dry mouth, frequent nocturnal urination, or irritability, you should seek help. Suffering from any of these issues due to a lack of sleep is not fun. Go visit their pediatrician and ask what they recommend. The solution could be very simple. Research shows that people who go to bed directly after watching TV or playing on their phones do not sleep as restfully as those who do not. The answer could be as easy as saying no screen-time for half an hour prior to bed.
However, it could be a little more complicated. This is why Virtuox is here to help, using sleep apnea study devices. With our high-tech sleep apnea study equipment, we will monitor your child’s brain waves as they sleep to figure out why they struggle to rest.
Sleep apnea is a condition where the airways relax and breathing can be slowed or stopped while sleeping. Both children and adults can struggle with this. Many children feel more comfortable being in their own home instead of being tested in a hospital overnight, so we offer a home sleep study so they can rest in the comfort of their own bed.
VirtuOx is the leader in home sleep tests and pulse oximetry.
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