Why do we need sleep?
Unless we get enough sleep then our performance is
likely to be sadly lacking. Not just sexual performance
either. Work performance, creativity, reaction time,
and mood all become worse when we're tired.
Although it's not entirely clear why we need sleep,
the effects of sleep deprivation justify trying to
get enough.
How much sleep do we need?
The amount of sleep needed depends upon the individual
and their age. Some people manage on four or five
hours sleep a night. On average seven, eight, or
nine hours
of sleep a night is what the majority of young and
middle aged people need to stay bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
during the day. As we get older we tend to need less
sleep.
For peak performance during the day about four or
five 90-minute sleep cycles are needed to rest and
re-charge the brain. Each cycle combines deep sleep
that brings rest, and REM (rapid-eye movement) sleep
during which it's believed brain chemicals are released
that help tasks such as learning to be performed more
easily.
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