Just like we need water and food to survive, we also need sleep. Sleep is heavily influenced by
circadian rhythms and hormonal/environmental factors as well. It is a restorative process that gives us energy for the day ahead of us. It gives the body a chance to repair muscles and other tissues and gives the brain a chance to organize and archive your memories.
Insomnia
Our bodies have an internal, natural clock which promotes a regular sleep cycle but when this cycle is disturbed, this is where the person experiences insomnia. The definition of insomnia is the difficulty in initiating and/or maintaining sleep. The effects of sleep deprivation are cumulative and have profound effects on memory, learning, reasoning, reaction time, and what we refer to as “executive functioning” How can you pay attention, think and remember if you are exhausted? It has been found that many children who were labeled ADHD were actually sleep deprived children. When these children start sleeping the appropriate length of time, many of the ADHD symptoms go away. Adult sleep deprivation can have a negative impact on family, society, and the workplace. Sleep deprived adults are very inefficient and at times unsafe. They have more accidents, lose productive work time, and have been known to cause disasters in industrial settings. In addition sleep deprivation is a contributing factor to depression and anxiety.