Sleep Myths
If you have sleep problems, there is a high chance someone gave you tips on how to sleep better. There are many people tout to have insomnia cures and techniques to stop snoring - many of which are merely attempts to cheat you of your money. Here at Stop Your Snore.com, we choose to cut out the confusing bits about sleep, and give you condensed and informative articles on what you can do to sleep better, deal with a snorer and improve the quality of your life.
First off, there are many myths out there on sleep that we have to get out of the way, all victims of old wives tales and broken facts. Here is a list of the most common ones and the truth behind them!
1) Sleep simply means to rest
Truth: Sleep is more than a period of rest; it is an essential time for your body to perform routine maintenance, creating long-term memories and internalizing knowledge that you have gained in the day. Your body also repairs damages like cuts, bruises and builds new muscles. Sleep boosts the immune system too, thus explaining why you are more susceptible to illnesses when you are sleep-deprived.
2) Sleep is a passive event
Truth: Sleep is not passive at all! The brain is even more active during dream sleep than non-dream sleep and the awakened state. It has been shown that the metabolic activity during dream sleep is high and essential to rejuvenation, memory building and feeling refreshed.
3) Losing an hour of sleep is no big deal
Truth: If you get less sleep than you need, your ability to do cognitive and physical tasks is decreased. If that sleep loss builds up over time, you develop a sleep debt which can interfere with the hormones that monitor appetite, change your moods and increase your risk of chronic illnesses.
4) The more I dream, the more tired I am
Truth: Dreaming is important for the brain to organize itself. Some people think it expresses the individual’s deepest desires. Whatever the case, it is important to get rejuvenated and feel refreshed in the morning. All dreams are good for the individual.
5) Naps are wasteful
Truth: Naps are a great way to catch up on lost sleep. After taking naps, people function better and do cognitive tasks quicker. Napping also trains you to fall asleep quicker. Avoid napping longer than an hour or after 3pm as it may make it more difficult for you to fall asleep at night.
6) Snoring is normal and indicates good, deep sleep.
Truth: While snoring is very common, it indicates a more serious sleep disorder. You may have developed sleep apnea, especially if you’re bed partner has noticed that you are frequently short of breath while sleeping, or if you are excessively tired during the day. Rest assured that treatment for sleep apnea and snoring is available! Find out the solution in other sections of the site. Snoring DOES NOT indicate deep sleep.
7) You can learn to get less sleep
Truth: Unfortunately, you cannot ‘train’ yourself to sleep less. Research has shown that restricting people to less than five hours of sleep for several weeks result in slow performance, impaired judgment and poorer mood.
8) Older people need less sleep
Truth: Older people need the same amount of sleep as everyone else. However, they have lower levels of melatonin in their blood and hence, may not be able to get a continuous seven-nine hours of sleep. But they cumulatively do get their required hours of sleep per day by napping in the morning or afternoon.
