5 Myths and Facts About Sleep

There are several myths surrounding the concept of getting proper sleep. The undeniable fact is that there is no way an adult can function safely and optimally without 7 to 9 hours of adequate sleep.

Here are the five most common myths and the facts behind that. Have a look and see which one of them you were believing so far.

Myth 1

Myth: The quality and the hours of sleep you get does not have any relationship with your common health problems like depression, obesity, hypertension and diabetes.

Fact: Scientific studies have constantly been showing a correlation between bad quality/insufficient sleep and a wide variety of diseases we suffer from. Your sleep cycle has a direct effect on your blood pressure. Interrupted or disturbed sleep can change the standard variable of your blood pressure and can lead to problems like hypertension and cardiovascular issues.

Myth 2

Myth: You start losing sleep once you start getting older.

Fact: Seven to nine hours is the average sleep hours recommended for an adult by sleep experts. Once we start getting older, there could be a change in the pattern of sleep we get but the hours of sleep we need always remains the same. Elders above the age of 60 might wake up a lot through the night while they sleep, causing them to have disturbed sleep. This does not mean they do not require as much sleep as youngsters. They might compensate for this by sleeping during the day.

Myth 3

Myth: Snoring while you sleep is a common problem and not harmful at all.

Fact: Sleep apnea is a major disorder which is usually associated with several medical issues. Snoring a lot can be a warning sign for sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is usually characterized by people waking up during the middle of the night gasping for breath. This might be a result of low oxygen level in your blood which strains your cardiovascular system especially your heart.

Myth 4

Myth: The habit of falling asleep during lectures is a very bad and lazy habit by youngsters.

Fact: Youngsters need more sleep during the night while comparing to adults. They need an average of eight hours thirty minutes to nine hours forty-five minutes of sleep every day. The biological clock of the youngsters might keep them awake during the night hence interfering with them waking up in the morning and staying awake during the day.

Myth 5

Myth: Feeling sleepy during the day usually means that the person is not getting enough sleep during the night.

Fact: Though a person gets enough sleep during the night he might start feeling sleepy again during the day. This is usually the sign of some underlying medical disorder or sleep disorder such as sleep apnea or narcolepsy. It is advisable to consult a physician at the earliest under such conditions.