Sunday 2 January 2011

Sleep - Some facts

Adequate Sleep is the most Important Ingredient of a Healthy Life Style
 Because, the mind gets charged fully in the Jeevaatma Shakti.
 
Swam Apeeto Bhavati = Swapiti. (Sleeping)

This is one definition of Upanishad about sleep. As you sleep you mind experiences the grea SELF and merges into that consciousness, without the feel of separate entity. Thus, it becomes energised and gets the strength to function for some time. This is quite similar to a Mobile Phone Charge in current day context.
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 Some inputs from Neuroligical point of view, giving impetus to the concept of Upanishad.

Why do we sleep and why is sleep so important for us? 
Through ages, the curiosity and the mystery associated with it still baffle many.

Neurologist Pankaj Gupta said that sleep is the biggest casualty of the urban way of living. 
Everyday as an urbanite rushes for work, shopping, socialising not to mention the necessary evils of TV-computer-mobile, he/she finds himself/herself cutting or pruning the sleep time as never before. 
"Without realising the harm we are doing to our mental and physical health or to the error of judgment, we are more prone to the aberrant behaviour its link with chronic sleep deprivation," he said. The urban population looks upon sleep as a passive act when irresistible mantras like `shop till you drop' and `work hard and party even harder' are the new buzz word.

Little does the unsuspecting denizen realise that an epidemic of insomnia and host of medical conditions are afflicting the adult population. Sleep scavenges the dust accumulated during day time in our brains as neurons work hard during sleep to repair the day time wear and tear, he added. Memory codes are formed during sleep, which lays the foundation for long-term memory.

Sleep prepares our brains for working normally the next day or act like an anti-virus software which mops the virus for its proper functioning, he said.

Inadequate sleep could make us irritable, irrational and clumsy. Our concentration, judgment, memory and hand-eye coordination gets affected.

Chronic sleep deprivation causes us to have `micro sleeps' during daytime. These are small periods during the day when our mind gets shut off though our eyes maybe open and we may look awake. Micro sleeps are the cause of twenty per cent road accidents. Prolonged deprivation of sleep decreases our immunity and makes us prone to infection and increases our weight.

Talking about day-time sleepiness, Gupta said that this may be a symptom of some serious ailment. If somebody talks of increased sleepiness, we think that the person is less motivated and sloppy rather than thinking it to be a symptom of a disease.

Millions of people world over may have to work during night like those of industry workers, peoples working in transport industry, policing, doctors etc and these people suffer from rhythm sleep disorders. Since such people feel groggy during their work time and awake during their sleep time, this sleep disturbance nearly doubles the risk of a fatal work accident. Higher rates of cancer, cardiac diseases, gastro-intestinal and reproductive disorders are seen in night shift workers.

We are born to sleep for a pre-decided number of hours. If we sleep less than that, then the deficit will give us micro sleeps or make us sleep more during Sundays or other holidays, Gupta added.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Sir, Jayagurudatta. You have given a perfect practical example correlating the energisation of mind in sleep akin to mobile charging.