Based on a clinical study conducted, the National Sleep Foundation has recommended that adults need to get at least seven to nine hours of sleep every night.
As specified in a Xerxes DLC report, sleep is playing a vital role in the body, not to mention, it is a fact that no one can contend with.
It is so essential that sleep deprivation is one of the major contributors to death in the United States, other than alcohol and drug abuse, and obesity.
The study has also presented that the risk for heart diseases of a person, as well as depression, type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, obesity, and Alzheimer's disease, increases if sleep deprivation is experienced.
Examining the Human Body
Health reports have it that the human body is such an amazing creation. Unfortunately, though, there was no formal or information in writing or manual that guides on how to maximize the use of the body.
Therefore, instead, there have been investigations on the topic and there have been trial and effort procedures done across ages to understand it.
More so, in the case of technology, it is only now that researchers have been able to examine the human body and explore its complexities precisely.
Essentially, the body is bombarded with contaminants within the environment, from the air humans breathe in, the food they eat, the water they drink. To solve this, the body then is undergoing a cleaning process known as "sleep" each night.
The 'Sleep' Cleaning Process
Sleep does not offer pleasure but rejuvenates the body, as well, by avoiding toxins and fixing the impairments that it sustained from the environment.
In addition to that, during sleep, the brain is going into overdrive and generates hormones such as cortisol, melatonin, leptin, and ghrelin, all of which can contribute to feeling less stressed and more energized, particularly during mornings.
There is no particular amount of time a person needs to be asleep. To a changing degree, it is all according to the genes and age of an individual.
It is essential to try and get as much sleep as possible, even when it is a struggle. Having adequate sleep is essential for the physical body, as well as mental health.
Improving Mental Health
According to Sleep.org, adequate sleep has a direct effect on the lesser-known part of the immune system, too. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report specified that reduced sleep even by just a few hours can dramatically lessen the effectiveness of the NK cells that help combat tumors.
In follow-up research, researchers found that reduction of the ability of these NK cells was linked to a higher risk of cancer death.
The study presented that treating sleep disorders alongside depression can help lessen the overall impact of the symptoms of depression.
In a study conducted in 2016, using CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, as detailed in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, to deal with sleep or wake behaviors improved the quality of sleep in study participants.
In turn, this eventually lessened the symptoms of depression. CBT is a treatment modality working to develop behavioral change by dealing with thoughts and feelings that draw behavior.
Succeeding research-backed as well, using CBT to address sleep deprivation or disorders, not to mention the effect of symptoms of depression.
Related information about sleep and mental health is shown on AllCEUs Counseling Education's YouTube video below:
Check out more news and information on Sleep in Science Times.
