The Importance of Sleep (Dr. Li Xinqian)

The great inventor Thomas Edison abhorred sleep, considering it nothing more than a waste of time and an unnecessary activity. However, advancements in medicine have repeatedly shown us just how important sleep is. While the physiological and pathological significance of sleep is not yet fully understood, numerous studies have clearly demonstrated that…Sleep has a profound relationship with physiological functions and cognitive abilities.。

It is generally believed that good sleep has at least the effect of "restoring energy and physical strength." In fact, many of the things we need in our daily lives...Cognitive ability，Everything from judgment to memory requires sleep for regulation.In order to maintain certain functions, sleep quality is essential. If sleep quality is compromised or sleep time is deprived, it can easily lead to cognitive impairment. Studies have found that many accidents, such as car accidents, are often related to sleep disorders.

The regulation of many physiological phenomena also occurs during sleep. For example,Growth hormone, essential for growth and development, is only released stably from the brain during deep sleep.The Taiwanese proverb "a drop in sleep makes you grow an inch" isn't without merit! Recent research has also shown that prolonged sleep deprivation reduces the body's "glycemic tolerance." This demonstrates...If you don't sleep well, your metabolism will gradually become disrupted.。

A large-scale epidemiological study published by American scholars in 2002 pointed out that...People who sleep too much or too little have a mortality rate that increases by at least 15 percentage points over long-term follow-ups.The true cause of the rising mortality rate is still unclear, but experts believe it's due to the multifaceted negative effects of poor sleep. Because sleep has such a wide-ranging impact, a renowned sleep medicine expert once described it this way: "Sleep is to avoid the consequences of sleep deprivation!" This statement, while seemingly vague, aptly highlights the importance of sleep, much like air or water. We don't usually feel its presence, but when it's disrupted, every aspect of our body and physiology is impacted. The importance of sleep cannot be ignored!

Dr. Hsin-Chien Li, Sleep Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital