World Sleep Day 2023: Sleep is Essential for Health
World Sleep Day is a time to reflect on the state of sleep around the world. This year, the theme is “Sleep is Essential for Health” which is a message we here at Zenbev have long been touting.
What is World Sleep Day?
World Sleep Day is an annual celebration that brings sleep experts, researchers, health professionals, and people together to advocate for and educate the world on the importance of healthy sleep. Organized by the World Sleep Day Committee, the celebration also highlights the research and development efforts that are dedicated towards sleep disorder prevention and management.
Quick Facts about Sleep
- We spend about one third of our life sleeping (or trying to!)
- Sleep is an essential pillar of human health
- More than 51% of adults worldwide report that they are not getting the sleep they need on a regular basis
- Insomnia is reported to affect between 30-45% of the adult population
- Healthy adults need about 7-9 hours of sleep, those who are aged 64 and older need 7-8 hours
- A person experiences between 4 to 6 sleep cycles in a normal sleep period
- REM sleep takes up about 20 percent of our total sleep time
Why is sleep health important?
It is no secret that sleep plays a vital role in our overall health and wellbeing. What some fail to realize, however, is that not receiving an adequate amount of sleep results in some damaging, long-term consequences. In a culture that pushes productivity and busyness, slowing down seems nearly impossible. Societal pressures, family obligations, and personal responsibilities often lead people to push themselves beyond their physical boundaries and work tirelessly- depriving themselves of the rest that they so desperately need.
We see it time and time again – the working adult who is unable to separate their work from their personal life. They reassure their concerned counterparts that they are “fine”, but do not seem to understand the true impact of their sleeplessness. According to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, a lack of adequate sleep can negatively impact a person’s judgment, attention, and ability to learn and retain information. This can manifest itself in reduced productivity and efficiency, as well as an increase in errors made in the workplace, at school, and other environments.
Sleep Is Essential for Health
Research suggests that sleep is necessary for memory consolidation both before and after the learning of a new task. Without adequate sleep, neurons become overworked and are unable to coordinate information correctly. When this happens, we are unable to grasp the new information that we learned, as it slips from our memory processes. Getting enough hours of high-quality sleep can significantly improve one’s reaction time, ability to think clearly, attention and concentration. Beyond the cognitive benefits, studies have also shown that high-quality sleep plays an important role in boosting the immune system, reducing stress, and lowering the risk of health problems like diabetes and heart disease.
Sleep Disorders
Millions of people around the world suffer from sleep problems. For many, the inability to get a good night’s sleep is caused by stress, or mood disorders like anxiety and depression. In other cases, severe sleep deprivation can be linked to a sleep disorder that has gone undiagnosed, potentially opening the door to further health consequences. Here is a list of 4 major, common sleep disorders, and how to identify them:
- Insomnia – Often characterized by continuous difficulty in getting to sleep and staying asleep. Acute insomnia is short-term, whereas chronic insomnia can persist for three months or longer.
- Sleep apnea – Strongly associated with loud snoring. Symptoms include gasping for air and intermittent pauses in breathing while sleeping.
- Restless Leg Syndrome – Uncomfortable sensation in the leg that can feel like aches and throbs. This feeling results in uncontrollable urges to move one’s legs.
- Narcolepsy – Overwhelming sensation of drowsiness and sleepiness during the daytime. Those with narcolepsy often fall asleep suddenly, at any time and sometimes in the middle of an activity.
If you suspect that you are suffering from a sleep disorder, please see your doctor. Getting treatment as soon as possible can relieve your symptoms and help prevent further complications.
How Zenbev can help
What better way to celebrate World Sleep Day than to ease into peaceful sleep with the help of a natural sleep aid? There’s nothing quite like restful sleep that leaves you feeling refreshed, and Zenbev helps to achieve that. As a powerful natural sleep and anxiety remedy, Zenbev allows your body to kick start your body’s natural metabolic pathways in a proven formulation.
Here’s to more restful, healthy and regular sleep. Happy World Sleep Day!