Bergman do you sleep? This question has probably been asked many times in both tent and cabins, and the answer is of course yes😊

The sleep is always important also when your out in the outdoor environment, here you will learn why. First of all sleep serves a various of important physical and psychological functions, including: learning and memory consolidation, emotional consolidation, judgement and decision making, problem solving, energy conservation, growth and healing and strengthening the immunity.

How does sleep work? The sleep can be divided into four phases; N1,N2,N3 and N4. The N1 stage is short and last from 1 to 5 minutes, this is the lightest stage of sleep. The next phase si the N2, while brain activity slows, there are bursts of activity that may help with memory retention and learning. This stage last from 10 minutes but can be as long as one hour. The third stage N3 also known as “deep sleep”. This stage has a pattern known as “delta waves”, this stage is critical for restoring your body and mind. This delta waves processing your experience and memories from the day. The body releases growth hormone to repair muscle tissue, regrow bone cells and strengthen the immune system. Next step is the N4 and now you enter the stage known as “rapid eye movement” stage. The brain is almost as active as when you are awake. The REM sleep contributes to insight thinking, creativity and memory. This is the stage where you have the most vivid dreams. The dreams serve as a “mental housekeeping” to clean up partial or unnecessary information. During your sleep you go trough this cycle five to six times during a night. This is your sleep architecture, so sleep is a complex process for preparing you for the next day ahead.

Hm. So what does this mean if we don’t get enough of sleep then?

Every hour of sleep is like money on the bank. Lack of sleep contribute to a lot of disfunctions. It will impact the whole body from the immune system to the neuro cognitive system. We will see it directly when it comes to our brain and how we interact with the world. Just a night of bad sleep will affect our memory and attention, and it can even cause false memory. Also the rection time will be affected, which has been measured. Such as making decisions for example. We also get more irritable, and this also lead to that we decrease our ability to read others emotions.

Lack of sleep will also suppress your immune system, increasing your susceptibility to sickness and infection. Increase your risk of developing heart problems, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. Interfere with your metabolism and elevate your risk for obesity.

Well, so what can we do to secure a better sleep then? First of all, we are habit creatures. This meaning stick to a sleeping schedule. Being consistent reinforces your body’s sleep-wake cycle. Regular physical activity can promote better sleep. However, avoid being active too close to bedtime. Secure you got daylight, get outside at least 30min each day. Wake up and fall asleep at the same time…Keep the bedroom cold 18 C degrees is perfect. Yes, and just one thing more, drink a glass of water with little salt in. This will bind the water so don’t need to wake up. So good night😊

Chayce Beckham – 23 (Official Music Video)

See ya soon…