An Introduction To Sleep and Sleep Disorders

Sleep is one of the few things we do throughout our lives - from the day we're born until the day we die. The average person spends an amount of time equal to 27 years sleeping throughout their life.

Because it is so natural, most people don't give sleep much thought. The only time it really concerns us is when we aren't getting enough of it.

There are various opinions on how much sleep we need each day, where we should sleep and what makes the ideal environment for sleeping. The fact is, there is no single answer to those questions - everybody is different.

Traditionally, it was always thought that sleep was a nearly paralyzed state when little or no activity took place. In recent years, however, studies have shown that sleep is often just the opposite. Periods of highly active and organized brain activity actually takes place during sleep.

Sleep also recharges the body, rebuilding our energy levels, ability to focus, immune system and many other things. While many people feel that sleep is a waste of time when they could be getting many other things done, the reality is that they wouldn't get anything done without it.

Lack of sleep can cause many problems and sleep disorders can make the problem worse by not letting us get the sleep necessary.

These disorders can often seem mild - snoring, for example - but over a period of time they can lead to exhaustion and dangerous situations.

Other disorders such as sleep apnea can lead to more serious health problems if left untreated.

If you're having trouble sleeping, don't just ignore the problem - get to your doctor and discuss it with them. Early identification and treatment of sleeping disorders is an important part of treating them effectively.

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