The Importance of Sleep for Physical and Mental Health

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Sleep,Physical Health,Mental Health

Scientists have discovered that sleep is not a period of physical and mental inactivity, but rather a time when the body and brain perform essential functions for overall health. There are two main types of sleep, REM and non-REM, which play different roles in the sleep cycle. During non-REM sleep, the brain becomes less responsive to the outside world and the body slows down. In the REM stage, dreaming occurs and certain bodily functions increase to daytime levels.

Scientists used to think that people were physically and mentally inactive during sleep. But now they know that's not the case. All night long, your body and brain do quite a bit of work that's key for your health. There are two main types of sleep that we cycle in and out of when we rest -- REM and non-REM sleep.You begin the night in non-REM sleep and spend most of your rest time there. It starts light, in the"N1" stage, and moves to the deep"N3" stage.

Though we've talked about them for thousands of years, they're still a mystery in many ways. It's not clear what causes them or if they have a purpose. They're most common during REM, especially when they're very visual, but you can dream in other sleep stages as well. Night terrors -- when people appear to be awake and cry out in fear or panic -- happen in deeper states of sleep.During deep sleep, your body works to repair muscle, organs, and other cells.

 

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How the brain chooses which memories to save during sleepLinda Carroll is a regular health contributor to NBC News. She is coauthor of 'The Concussion Crisis: Anatomy of a Silent Epidemic' and 'Out of the Clouds: The Unlikely Horseman and the Unwanted Colt Who Conquered the Sport of Kings.'
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