Why do we need 7-8 hours of sleep a night?

Question

I'm doing a report in Health on the importance of sleep so any input would help.

Answer 1

Every night the human brain goes through whats called a sleep cycle. The most important stage of this process is called the rapid eye movement stage. The REM stage is where most of the brain activity occurs. Between the 7th and 9th hour of sleep, the longest part of REM occurs. The last hours of sleep are the most important.

Answer 2

Sleep is important for the maintenance of all components of a healthy body. During sleep our cells repair and reproduce. Without this we could have many health problems including mental health problems.
The signs of lack of sleep will first start showing up in the skin, nails, and hair. Your hair can fall out and the skin will get dry and pale. Your brain will get memory lapses and can shut down, that will force you to sleep. You will gain weight as your body functions do not operate properly. These are some of the first signs and then later you will have problems in all your main functions like: digestive, lymthatic, hormonal, immune and more.

Sleep is necessary for life and good health. Cells must be replaced daily.

Answer 3

The National Sleep Foundation maintains that eight hours of sleep is optimal, claiming that it brings improved performance in tests, reduced risk of accidents, and a better immune system. A widely publicized 2003 study performed at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine demonstrated that cognitive performance declines with less than eight hours of sleep.

Answer 4

My son is 11 weeks previous and he has been dozing 8-10 hours at evening for approximately 6 weeks now. i grow to be not in any respect aggravating about waking him up for a feeding. If he's hungry he will awaken and he's gaining weight regularly so I purely thank my fortunate stars that I have such an extremely good sleeper. i'd not hassle now that your toddler is 7 weeks previous. i'd have aggravating at 2 weeks, regardless of the indisputable fact that that is a touch previous due for that now. I say purely savour it and ensure that you do rub it in to all of your friends that do not have solid sleepers. LOL

Answer 5

I think the reason why we need 8 or more hours of sleep, is because it has been studies that suggest that we function better when we do so. I myself have experiment with less hours, and found out that I function bad, but if I sleep eight hours I function better.

Answer 6

Sleeping is what allows our bodies to regenate and heal themselves. It is also when your metabolism slows down and nutrients are absorbed into our bodies. Not sleeping can cause you to be deficient in those nutrients.

Sleeping is also important for things like body building, or just weight loss/ muscle-toning. Sleeping is what allows our muscles to heal and grow.

Answer 7

Your body needs this sleep to function and rebuild. Your skin needs it to refresh, cuts, injuries, muscles need it to heal. Without the proper sleep you body will become tired and anxiety can kick in. You may become depressed with lack of sleep. You may become sore and achy b/c your body hasn't had the sleep to heal and relax.

Answer 8

sleeping for 7-8 hours a day have great benefit to your entire body system. I help you to think clearer.concentrate on important issues. it helps to clear the mind in otherwords make you look smarter.

Sleep Is a Basic Human Need
Sleep is a natural part of everybody's life, but many people know very little about how important it is, and some even try to get by with little sleep. Sleep is something our bodies need to do; it is not an option. Even though the exact reasons for sleep remain a mystery, we do know that during sleep many of the body's major organ and regulatory systems continue to work actively. Some parts of the brain actually increase their activity dramatically, and the body produces more of certain hormones.

Sleep, like diet and exercise, is important for our minds and bodies to function normally. In fact, sleep appears to be required for survival. Rats deprived of sleep die within two to three weeks, a time frame similar to death due to starvation.

An internal biological clock regulates the timing for sleep. It programs each person to feel sleepy during the nighttime hours and to be active during the daylight hours. Light is the cue that synchronizes the biological clock to the 24-hour cycle of day and night.

Problem Sleepiness Has Serious Consequences
Sleepiness due to chronic lack of adequate sleep is a big problem in the United States and affects many children as well as adults. Children and even adolescents need at least 9 hours of sleep each night to do their best. Most adults need approximately 8 hours of sleep each night.

When we get less sleep (even one hour less) than we need each night, we develop a "sleep debt." If the sleep debt becomes too great, it can lead to problem sleepiness – sleepiness that occurs when you should be awake and alert, that interferes with daily routine and activities, and reduces your ability to function. Even if you do not feel sleepy, the sleep debt can have a powerful negative effect on your daytime performance, thinking, and mood, and cause you to fall asleep at inappropriate and even dangerous times.

Problem sleepiness has serious consequences – it puts adolescents and adults at risk for drowsy driving or workplace accidents. In children, it increases the risk of accidents and injuries. In addition, lack of sleep can have a negative effect on children's performance in school, on the playground, in extracurricular activities, and in social relationships.

Inadequate sleep can cause decreases in:

Performance
Concentration
Reaction Times
Consolidation of Information Learning
Inadequate sleep can cause increases in:

Memory Lapses
Accidents and Injuries
Behavior Problems
Mood Problems
Signs of Sleep Disorders
A child who has not obtained adequate nighttime sleep is at high risk for symptoms of physical and/or mental impairment. The child may fall asleep in school, have difficulty concentrating in school and other activities, and/or exhibit behavioral problems. Some children who are sleepy become agitated rather than lethargic and may be misdiagnosed as hyperactive. Not getting enough sleep is one cause of problem sleepiness. Undiagnosed/untreated sleep disorders can also cause problem sleepiness. Children as well as adults can suffer from sleep disorders. Parents should talk to their pediatrician about a possible sleep disorder if their child has any of the following:

Snoring
Breathing Pauses During Sleep
Problems with Sleeping at Night
Difficulty Staying Awake During the Day
Unexplained Decrease in Daytime Performance

Answer 9

So your body can relax. You don't have to hold yourself up. You can dream. Resolve issues in your head. I love it. I just sleep five or six hours a night.

Answer 10

yes