Category: Matthew Walker

Sleeping erratically tends to compromise the quantity and quality of our sleep, which in turn compromises our health and well-being. Going to bed at a regular time and sleeping for a full 8 hours seems to be the most beneficial way of sleeping for humans.

The fact that humans and all other animal species sleep tells us how important sleep truly is. It is an essential physiological process like breathing and eating, and it influences our health, well-being, and longevity even more so than diet and exercise.

Consistently getting a good night’s sleep can have a profoundly powerful effect in improving our health and reducing our risk of deadly diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer. Good sleep also greatly improves learning and memory and other brain functions.

In a state of extreme sleep deprivation, the dream state can impinge upon the waking state, and the two states of consciousness can merge, resulting in hallucinations. Perhaps this might explain how psychosis might arise as a result of sleep deprivation.

It’s not just the time spent in bed that’s important. Sleep quality, whether we sleep soundly or we’re waking up a lot is also important, as is the timing and the regularity of our sleep. All these aspects of sleep play a role in determining its benefits.

As people get older, many suffer cognitive decline that may eventually result in Alzheimer’s. Sleep quality also often worsens as people age. Could worsening sleep quality be a factor in causing cognitive decline? The answer appears to be yes it could be.

Sleep is a biological process that is vital for humans and for all other animal species as well. Sleep restores the health and well-being of both the mind and the body more so than any other single factor. We all can feel this after a good night’s sleep.

It’s astonishing how much the amount of the sleep we get affects our health, mentally and physically. Many are unaware of how vitally important sleep is. I’ve been guilty of paying insufficient attention to sleep, and my health has suffered because of it.

A sleep-deprived brain is impaired in its ability to learn and to make new memories. Sleep is also required after new learning in order to permanently store the new learning and not to forget. Good mental functioning depends on getting lots of good sleep.

The quality of our sleep is vital to the health of the brain and of the body. Sleep deprivation interferes with learning and memory and with the functioning of the immune system. Lack of sleep raises all-cause mortality and the risk for multiple diseases.