The value of sleep

Sleep is a form of physical and mental recharging. Sleep is a recovery process that occurs in all biological organisms. Scientific tests, in which rats where kept awake for a long time, showed that they would die after being deprived of sleep for approximately 21 days.

It is not known how long a human being can survive without sleep. However, we do know that people who suffer from a lack of sleep also suffer from problems with concentration and memory. They can even have hallucinations.

Scientific research shows the importance of sleep. Lack of sleep comes at the expense of labour productivity and the quality of the work done. People perform better if they have had a good night's sleep.

Furthermore, it seems that a chronic lack of sleep can lead to reduced sensitivity to serotonin, a substance that is responsible for forwarding brain stimuli. Serotonin is involved in mood, sleep, emotions, sexual activity and appetite and is responsible for feelings of satisfaction and happiness.

It is not a problem if you occasionally get less sleep than you require. However, a structural shortage of sleep can undermine mental and physical health.

The consequences of a lack of sleep might go even further. Recent research has led to the hypothesis that a lack of sleep can not only result in depression, but can even contribute to obesity and diabetes.

According to some scientists, it is the number of hours after which you spontaneously wake up under restful conditions (for instance when on holiday). Others assert that the last hours of sleep are a form of luxury, and that you can train yourself to do with less sleep.

The best advice is: listen to your own body. If you feel that you can function well with somewhat less sleep, then don't worry if you don't get the full eight hours. Try to ensure that you get the desired number of hours sleep every night, the entire week through. Catching up on sleep in the weekend is a lot less healthy.