Sleep Disorders: The Importance Of Sleep

Sleep. As children, we often loathe it. As adults, we often crave it. All of us, however, require it. Sleep is built into the very essence of both our psychological and physiological existence. Ideally, it is the foundation upon which we start our days. It is the safe haven that we return to at night. Without it, we begin to feel unorganized, disassociated, fatigued. This is because our bodies are governed by natural cadences called the circadian rhythm. BOOK 87 Our natural world operates predictably and rhythmically: poppies bloom in the morning, birds migrate with the seasons, and the sun rises and sets in 24-hour intervals. Our natural bodies are no different. They long to move with the earths natural pattern of light and dark. The superchiasmatic …show more content…
Research is showing that circadian misalignment is probably far more commonplace than one would realize. It may surreptitiously cause ailments such as upset stomach, unexplained insomnia, and high blood pressure, as well as more serious conditions such as diabetes and cancer. ARTICLE Sleep disorders, such as insomnia, narcolepsy, and non-24, all revolve around a malfunctioning circadian rhythm. These disorders are drastically varied, however. Insomniacs suffer from an enduring inability to fall or stay asleep. Conversely, narcolepsy is a disorder that causes short, overwhelming attacks of exhaustion. People with this frightening condition may fall asleep without warning, at any time. BOOK 95-96 Perhaps the most disruptive of sleep disorders is non-24, a disorder that scrambles circadian rhythms almost completely, making it difficult for the body to work in harmony with itself. As the name implies, the body ceases to function on a normal 24-hour routine. This causes an erratic sleep schedule that makes normal life impossible. …show more content…
In a 2013 study, while measuring the affects of misaligned circadian rhythms on rats, neuroscientist Robert J. McDonald of the University of Lethbridge discovered that long term circadian disruption made it difficult for the rats to learn. They also had difficulty recalling learned tasks and information. ARTICLE These same maladies affect students with disruptive circadian rhythms, which is unfortunate because most of school is made up of learning and recall. Although few students prioritize their sleep schedule, four out of five teenagers do wish that they could get more sleep. BOOK 94 They don 't realize that their irregular sleep schedules - pulling late nights but sleeping in on weekends - is affecting their bodies ability to rest naturally and