SLEEP

What is sleep?
Sleep is the regular period in every 24 hours when we are unconscious and unaware of our surroundings. There are two main types of sleep:
· Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep
It comes and goes throughout the night, and makes up about one fifth of our sleep time. During REM sleep, our brain is very active, our muscles are very relaxed, our eyes move quickly from side to side and we dream.
· Non-REM sleep
The brain is quiet, but the body may move around. Hormones are released into the bloodstream and our body repairs itself after the wear and tear of the day. There are 4 stages of non-REM sleep:
1. The muscles relax, the heart beats slower and body temperature falls - "pre-sleep".
2. Light sleep - we can still be woken easily without feeling confused.
3. "Slow wave" sleep - our blood pressure falls, we may talk in our sleep or sleep walk.
4. Deep "slow wave" sleep - we become very hard to wake. If we are woken, we feel confused.

We move between REM and non-REM sleep about five times throughout the night, dreaming more as we get toward the morning.

During a normal night, we will also have short periods of waking. These last 1 or 2 minutes and happen every 2 hours or so. We aren't usually aware of them. We are more likely to remember them if we feel anxious or there is something else going on - noises outside, our partner snoring etc.





















Characteristics of SleepWe all know how sleep looks -- when we see someone sleeping, we recognize the following characteristics:
If possible, the person will lie down to go to sleep.
The person's eyes are closed.
The person doesn't hear anything unless it is a loud noise.
The person breathes in a slow, rhythmic pattern.
The person's muscles are completely relaxed. If sitting up, the person may fall out of his or her chair as sleep deepens.
During sleep, the person occasionally rolls over or rearranges his or her body. This happens approximately once or twice an hour. This may be the body's way of making sure that no part of the body or skin has its circulation cut off for too long a period of time.
In addition to these outward signs, the heart slows down and the brain does some pretty funky things (we'll get to this later).
In other words, a sleeping person is unconscious to most things happening in the environment. The biggest difference between someone who is asleep and someone who has fainted or gone into a coma is the fact that a sleeping person can be aroused if the stimulus is strong enough. If you shake the person, yell loudly or flash a bright light, a sleeping person will wake up.
For any animal living in the wild, it just doesn't seem very smart to design in a mandatory eight-hour period of near-total unconsciousness every day. Yet that is exactly what evolution has done. So there must be a pretty good reason for it!
















How much sleep do we need?
This depends mainly on how old we are:
Babies sleep for about 17 hours each day.
Older children only need 9 or 10 hours a night.
Most adults need around 7-8 hours sleep each night.
Older people need the same amount of sleep, but will often only have one period of deep sleep during the night, usually in the first 3 or 4 hours, after which they wake more easily. We also tend to dream less as we get older.

There are also differences between people of the same age. Most of us need 7-8 hours a night, but some (a few) people can get by with only 3 hours a night. It's not helpful to regularly sleep more than 7-8 hours each night.

The short periods of being awake feel much longer than they really are. So it's easy to feel that we are not sleeping as much as we actually are.







The Benefit of Sleep:
Here are a few ways that sleep improves the quality (and even the quantity!) of your life :
It helps to repair your bodyYour body produces extra protein molecules while you're sleeping, and these help to mend your body at a cellular level. The damage from all kinds of things, such as stress, pollutants, infection, sun exposure and so on, is repaired while you're happily in the land of nod.

Helps maintain a healthy heartYour heart and cardiovascular system is constantly under pressure, and one of the benefits of sleep is that it helps to reduce the levels of stress and inflammation in your body. High levels of 'inflammatory markers' are linked to heart attacks, heart disease and strokes. Sleep can also help keep blood pressure and cholesterol levels (which play a role in heart disease) lower.

Reduces stressA good night's sleep can lower blood pressure and the elevated levels of stress hormones which are a natural result of today's fast paced lifestyle. Too much stress causes excess 'wear and tear' on your body, and increases the aging and degeneration of organs, cells and other body parts. By reducing high levels of stress, sleep helps to reverse these effects and encourages a state of relaxation.

Improves your memoryThat 'foggy' feeling that you struggle with when deprived of sleep makes it difficult to concentrate. This often leads to not being able to 'commit to memory' facts, faces, lessons or even conversations! Sleeping well eliminates these difficulties because as you sleep, your brain is busy organizing and correlating memories. One of the great benefits of sleep is that it allows your brain to better process new experiences and knowledge, increasing your understanding and retention. So, next time you hear someone say "why don't you sleep on it", take their advice!

Can help control your body weightNow, this one might surprise you! One of the lesser known benefits of sleep is that it helps regulate the hormones that affect and control your appetite. Studies have shown that when your body is deprived of sleep, the normal hormone balances are interrupted and your appetite increases. Unfortunately this increase in appetite doesn't lead to a craving for fruits and veggies, no, instead your body longs for food high in calories, fats and carbohydrates! So, if you're trying to lose those stubborn few pounds that just keep hanging around, make sure that getting enough sleep becomes a priority.

HOW TO SLEEP WELL?
Nothing is more frustrating than not being able to sleep. Tossing and turning. Your mind is racing, going over everything that happened today. Night noises keep you awake. What can you do? There ARE things you can do! Read on and learn some new tricks to sleep well. These tips are also known as "Sleep Hygiene."
Sleep only when sleepy
This reduces the time you are awake in bed.
If you can't fall asleep within 20 minutes, get up and do something boring until you feel sleepy
Sit quietly in the dark or read the warranty on your refrigerator. Don't expose yourself to bright light while you are up. The light gives cues to your brain that it is time to wake up.
Don't take naps
This will ensure you are tired at bedtime. If you just can't make it through the day without a nap, sleep less than one hour, before 3 pm.

Get up and go to bed the same time every day
Even on weekends! When your sleep cycle has a regular rhythm, you will feel better.
Refrain from exercise at least 4 hours before bedtime
Regular exercise is recommended to help you sleep well, but the timing of the workout is important. Exercising in the morning or early afternoon will not interfere with sleep.
Develop sleep rituals
It is important to give your body cues that it is time to slow down and sleep. Listen to relaxing music, read something soothing for 15 minutes, have a cup of caffeine free tea, do relaxation exercises.
Only use your bed for sleeping
Refrain from using your bed to watch TV, pay bills, do work or reading. So when you go to bed your body knows it is time to sleep. Sex is the only exception.
Stay away from caffeine, nicotine and alcohol at least 4-6 hours before bed
Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants that interfere with your ability to fall asleep. Coffee, tea, cola, cocoa, chocolate and some prescription and non-prescription drugs contain caffeine. Cigarettes and some drugs contain nicotine. Alcohol may seem to help you sleep in the beginning as it slows brain activity, but you will end end up having fragmented sleep.
Have a light snack before bed
If your stomach is too empty, that can interfere with sleep. However, if you eat a heavy meal before bedtime, that can interfere as well. Dairy products and turkey contain tryptophan, which acts as a natural sleep inducer. Tryptophan is probably why a warm glass of milk is sometimes recommended.
Take a hot bath 90 minutes before bedtime
A hot bath will raise your body temperature, but it is the drop in body temperature that may leave you feeling sleepy. Read about the study done on body temperature below.
Trouble Sleeping? Chill Out! - A press release from the journal Sleep about the significance in body temperature before sleep
Make sure your bed and bedroom are quiet and comfortable
A hot room can be uncomfortable. A cooler room along with enough blankets to stay warm is recommended. If light in the early morning bothers you, get a blackout shade or wear a slumber mask. If noise bothers you, wear earplugs or get a "white noise" machine.
Use sunlight to set your biological clock
As soon as you get up in the morning, go outside and turn your face to the sun for 15 minutes.

妈妈的账单

小明家是經營餐廳生意，有時放學後他會到餐廳幫忙，招呼客人入座點菜收拾碗筷、算帳結帳。他漸漸覺得自己似乎也成了一位生意人。

有一次，他忽然突發奇想，也開了一張帳單寄給媽媽，索取他在餐廳幫忙作事的酬勞。
幾天後，媽媽收到這份帳單，上面寫著：

１．洗碗盤費500元２．掃地拖地費200元３．送外食到顧客家300元４．至郵局寄發信件帳單100元５．小明一直是勤奮聽話的好孩子100元

共計1,200元
小明的媽仔細看過這份帳單後，什麼話也沒有說。
晚上小明在他的枕頭旁看到了他所索取的1,200元報酬。
正當他得意如願以償，要把1200元收到自己的口袋時，突然發現枕頭旁邊還放著一份給他的帳單。
小明欠他母親如下款項：
１．在母親家裡過十年平安無憂的生活費用0元２．十年中，食、衣、住、行的費用0元３．上學的學費、書籍費0元４．生病時的醫藥、照顧費0元５．有一個慈愛的母親0元

小明讀著讀著，感到羞愧萬分！

過了一會兒，他懷著一顆忐忑不安的心;躡手躡腳地走近母親，將小臉藏進母親的懷中，小心翼翼地把那1,200元塞進了她的圍裙口袋裡。