Sleep is one of the most important activities for the human being, despite the popular gossip that tries to give us the wrong idea of its importance. Rest is vital so that we can properly develop our physical and psychological functions .
At first glance, it does not seem entirely smart that we spend a third of our lives sleeping , but the truth is that without that minimum amount, we literally could not live.
In fact, the University of Chicago conducted a study on the effects of not sleeping in mammals, specifically on total sleep deprivation in 10 rats . The results were devastating, as all the subjects died or were euthanized for approaching imminent death between the 11 and 32 days that the test lasted. For obvious reasons, this same experiment has not been done with humans.
However, other less aggressive studies have shown that we could not live without sleep for more than 11 or 15 days or so. From the third day without sleep, humans begin to suffer from hallucinations and small episodes of temporary insanity. If sleep problems become chronic, we would be 40% more likely to suffer from a psychiatric illness with adequate and regular rest.
In Spain , the quality of sleep is somewhat precarious , because according to reports, we sleep little and we have a habit of staying up late. One of the main reasons for this fact, and which has therefore become a topic of debate, is that our time zone is not the correct one . This was configured during the Franco dictatorship to synchronize with that of Germany. However, a substantial difference, for example, is that, to get up at the same time (around 7:00), there the usual time to go to bed is ten at night, while in Spain it is normal from 12. As noted, it would be advisable to follow the same hours as the United Kingdom or Portugal.
The Sleep Research Center (CIS) of the Flex company carried out a comprehensive analysis on this problem in 2016. The results, obtained from a sample of more than 2,000 volunteers, determined that there are 7 autonomous communities that sleep below the average, the Basque Country, Ceuta and Melilla being the ones with the greatest deficit. At the European level, it was shown that Spaniards sleep about 40 minutes less a day.
Experts recommend sleeping 7-9 hours a day , but this is a goal that very few people can achieve. The different factors involved, such as the time zone and our hectic pace of life, are leaving an important mark on our health.
Popular culture has been responsible for misinterpreting the characteristics of sleep and its benefits. In this way, we have internalized unfavorable behaviors and habits for our rest. In this gallery, we teach you a few myths about sleep.
