THE VITAL ROLE OF SLEEP IN HEALING AND RECOVERY

Abstract

Background. Sleep deprivation takes a toll on both our physical and mental health. It has been linked to reduced cognitive abilities, decline in immunity, decreased physical performance, irritability, anxiety and many other unpleasant consequences. This paper explores the main complications from bad sleeping habits as well as provides solutions on how to improve sleep’s quality. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information of the US, the current hypotheses as to the function of sleep include neural maturation, clearance of metabolic waste products generated by neural activity in the awake brain, conservation of metabolic energy and others. However, to this day the current understanding of why sleep is an essential part of life is still yet to be determined. The fact that such an important part of our life is yet to be fully understood is fascinating. Sleep is a crucial part of everybody’s life however, not many among us know how to approach this vital process correctly. In order to improve sleep’s quality and optimize our productivity throughout the day, it is important to have the right information at hand and to know how to use it in your favour. The aim of the research. Gather, analyze and compile data regarding sleep and its importance on the recovery process in order to popularize proper sleep habits and make the most important aspects of this topic more accessible to the public.
Objectives. Help improve the public’s general knowledge on the topic of the importance of sleep and, hopefully, aid people in achieving a better quality of life.
Methods. To evaluate the importance of sleep in the recovery process we researched a variety of resources ranging from books, videos and articles to consulting with one of the university’s professor.
Conclusion. While we still do not fully understand sleep and all of the complex physiological processes that happen during it, one thing is for sure – sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality takes a big toll on our health. By depriving our bodies from sleep, we cause both short-term and long-term damage to ourselves. To help lead a better life it is important to stay informed on the topics that affect our  life’s quality the most and to make conscious choices towards bettering our lifestyle.