| What is Sleep? | |||
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All humans sleep. We all must sleep. From the time before we are born, even to the very moment we die, a pattern of sleep and cognizance transpires each day of our lives. One third of our lives is spent sleeping. For The average human being spends more than 20 to 23 years with their head to the pillow! What is this enigmatic state that can leave us lively, energetic, refreshed, revitalized and calm, but in deficiency can leave us vulnerable, clumsy, slow, oblivious, and even emotionally unstable? Even with modern sleep research, there is still no specific definition of sleep. Our working definitions of sleep reflect observations of what we customarily see as “sleep.” We, therefore, define sleep by noting the customary observations we make of subjects we decide are sleeping. Picture a man, lying in bed snoring the night away. What characteristics might lead you to believe this man is sleeping? First, you would probably notice his posture. Most humans sleep lying down. Whether it is on our backs, sides or stomach, we usually relate sleep to a reclining sleeping position. Next, you would probably observe the sleeper is showing very little movement. Walking and talking, for instance, might indicate that the person is not asleep. You might also notice the subject does not respond as readily to disturbances or activities in his surroundings. This reduction of stimulation is most obvious by their lack of response to certain sounds or touches which they would normally be alert to. Lastly, you could relate this person’s sleeping state to the fact that it is reversible. You can wake him from his sleep. This separates sleep from death or coma. All of these behaviors combine to create a behavioral observational definition of sleep. Sleep is a strange state of what seems like almost complete retreat from the social milieu surrounding us. It is a deeply puzzling power which we irresistibly succumb to, lying all but still and motionless for hours at a time, separated from consciousness. However, the time we spend asleep is not detached from the rest of our lives. Far from being a period of dark and nothingness, sleep is a complicated, powerful, influential activity. During sleep, most physiological functions, such as body temperature, blood pressure, and breathing rate fluctuate actively. It is a time of repair and growth, when some tissues proliferate rapidly. In addition sleep appears to be linked to the immune system. In healthy people, for example, lack of sleep causes an immune response resembling an infection. Dream or sleep deprivation can also result in changes of personality and in impairment of physical, perceptual, and intellectual processes. A person’s personality is often reflected in their sleep habits, patterns and their behaviors during and after sleep. The implications of sleep are as varied as the human personality, and they seep into the habits and rituals of our everyday lives.
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