Proper sleep helps our bodies rejuvenate themselves and restore damaged skin cells. When an individual is fighting a sleeping disorder or is merely not taking care of them self, by getting the necessary amount of sleep, they are jeopardizing not only their mental well being but also their physical as well.
Even though we spend upwards of 1/3 of our lives sleeping, most people consider it to be a low priority, and don’t take the time to determine if they are getting enough sleep every day. With the explosion of the technological revolution, people seem to have more excuses that they aren’t getting enough sleep. The Internet, cable TV, cell phones, and pagers can all be blamed for our change in sleeping patterns.
Sleep is consists of five different stages that are necessary for the body to remain healthy. An average person will cycle through these stages about 4 to 5 times during a normal eight hour period.
Stage 1: The first stage is sometimes called “drowsy sleep”. The person drifts in and out of sleep for about 5 to 10 minutes and can be awakened easily.
Stage 2: The second phase is when the individual enters a light sleep phase. Most eye movements stop, the person’s brain waves become slower, and the body temperature decreases.
Stage 3: Slow-Wave Sleep is the third stage, and is associated with the appearance of delta-waves which signal that the individual has entered the beginning of a state of deep sleep.
Stage 4: The fourth state is the true phase of deep sleep. People awakened during this phase will be very tired and confused for several minutes while wake up.
The final stage is called REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. During this stage dreaming is more likely to occur, and an individual will experience faster more rapid breathing, and increased blood pressure and heart rates.
To ensure that your body is able to fully restore damaged skin cells, a person must get the recommended 8 hours of sleep a night. If a person is not able to get enough sleep at night, then the body is not going to be able to grow new skin cells.