SLEEP: IT DOES YOUR BODY GOOD!

The average human is able to get about six hours of sleep per night with no distractions. So how many hours of sleep do you get? This isn’t a test, but be honest! Because if you ever find yourself in a dangerous situation (zombie outbreak or otherwise), it may be necessary to figure out just how much sleep you can afford to lose. Whether it’s over a fear of death, dismemberment or just plain paranoia… you could be in for one very long night!

The body requires sleep to repair itself from the previous day’s activities. And the amount of sleep needed is dependent on how many calories were burned throughout the day and how much stress was placed on the body and mind. Now, there are many theories on why the body needs sleep. But I would like to share just one of them with you now.

Known as the Restorative Theory, it states that “sleep serves to restore what the body has lost during the day.” Based on that statement alone, someone can infer that the body requires sleep to repair the damage done during the day. However, studies show that extreme sleep deprivation can cause the immune system to completely shutdown, leaving the subject to die in a matter of weeks. This is further supported by findings that many of the major restorative functions in the body such as tissue repair, protein synthesis and growth hormone release occur mostly, or in some cases only, during sleep.

Even the mind itself can deteriorate without sleep. During the day your brain creates a by-product called adenosine, which is responsible for making you tired or sleepy. (Coffee can actually block the receptors that accept this by-product, which is why many people drink coffee.) But when you sleep, the body has a chance to rid itself of adenosine so that you can feel revived and alert when you wake up. However, if that adenosine builds up over time with no sleep, you can quickly begin to lose many of the cognitive brain functions that allow you to move, eat and think rationally. You literally become a zombie!

So, as you can see, sleep is one of the most important things you can give your body next to air and water. It allows you to maintain basic motor skills, think critically and repair the stress put on your organs and immune system throughout the day. Not to mention that it feels good when you can rest in peace and away from danger. So when you’ve been running from zombies all day; find a safe place to hide and rest for a while. Even if it is only for a few hours… your body and mind will thank you!