Sunday, February 1, 2015

"Z" is for the importance of catching up on the 'Zzz's......'

The young man in my office was fidgety. He seemed very restless.
"All your test results are normal," I said.
"But I feel so tired, doc," he replied.
"Are you worried about anything? Any stress?" I asked.
"No, doc. Life is busy, but good."
"How busy? Are you getting enough sleep?" I asked.
"Well, I make sure I get at least 3-4 hours of sleep every night," he said.
"Just 3-4 hours? That's not enough. That's probably the reason you are so tired."

You can imagine how the conversation went from there on. We all need enough hours of sleep to recharge, reinvigorate and rejuvenate. Constantly being on the up & go will often sap one's soul and strength. On an average, the consensus of most Sleep Researchers is that we need at least 6-8 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period, to have a normal, physiological functioning of the human body. 

That brings us to dreams and dreaming. In ancient times, dreams defined social and political discourse. If a king had a dream that one of his ministers was plotting to overthrow him, he would have that minister imprisoned the next day! Since those times, the science behind dreams has evolved to a whole new level. Did you know there is active research going on now about Dream Control? Yes, that's right--- there might be a day not too far from today when you will be able to control your dreams. For those of you who are interested in this aspect of your dreams, look up MILD! (Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams). 

"Some people can't sleep because they have insomnia. I can't sleep because I have internet connection!" This quote is more true these days than you can imagine. And for those who are constantly trying to lose weight, lack of adequate hours of sleep has been well documented to lead to weight gain. 

"Long time ago, people who sacrificed their sleep, family, food, laughter and other joys of life were called Saints.
These days, they are called Facebookers!" ~ anonymous