research and well-being
Sleep is a universal need. No one can do without it. Sleep is an essential function for our organism, just after breathing. Drinking, eating and other vital functions are actually secondary to sleeping. If we don’t drink or eat for a few days, our weakened organisms will tap into their reserves and manage to stay alive for a relatively long time.
This is not the case with sleeping though. If you don’t sleep for as little as a couple of days, your body will collapse. Your physical, mental and cognitive functions will be gradually lost. One sleepless night is enough for us to realise how vital sleep is in ensuring a good quality
of life. If you don’t sleep enough, you will unawarely be prone to suffering from consequences in terms of:
- poor performance;
- deteriorating human relationships;
- irritability and moodiness;
- and above a declining general state of health.
That is why medicine has become aware that sleep disturbance is a very widespread pathology. When we speak about people’s well-being, we tend to think about a balanced diet and regular physical activity, but good quality sleep has a major role to play too.
Sleep is a stimulus you cannot hold out against. It is one of the great balances of life as regulated by our biological clock. Although we spend one third of our lives sleeping, we are not entirely aware of what we experience during such a state. Actually, sleep is not just a loss a consciousness, but an active state with an intense electric and chemical activity going on in our brains. Science has shown that during sleep our brains function differently to when we are awake. They help our organisms recover from the day’s weariness and foster major
activities such as learning and memorising.
Nevertheless, a further level needs to be investigated and controlled: quality of sleep. “Good” sleep is an unreplaceable element to keep the right psychological balance, to restore your body’s vigour and – last but not least – to take care of the proper posture of your spine.
More and more scientific evidence relates poor-quality sleep to the onset of:
- anxiety;
- depression;
- cardiovascular diseases;
- gastrointestinal diseases.
It is important to take early action at the first signs in order to prevent a temporary disorder from turning into a pathology requiring pharmaceutical treatment.
A study carried out by the University Hospital Centre in Montpellier, France, clearly shows that a good customised bed system is essential to ensure good sleep and relaxation.