One Good Night's Sleep

As most busy college students probably know, sleep is a precious commodity.  There is always something more important to do than sleep, whether it be pulling an all-nighter studying, or staying out late partying.  I've always tried to consistently get 6-7 hours of sleep a night, with the occasional "catch-up" nap, but since I have real trouble actually sleeping past 9 am, this isn't always possible.

I have been kind of sick all weekend, so last night, I took the recommended dose of NyQuil and passed out for 11 hours.

Needless to say, I felt great this morning, but it got me thinking, "why does a good night's sleep make me feel so good?"  Here are some interesting facts on sleep:

- Adults who report sleeping 6-7 hours per night live longer than those who sleep more or less.
- Sleep deprivation does adversely effect the immune system, but has not been proven to stunt growth in children.
- In mammals, the amount of sleep needed is generally inversely related to size (rats sleep 14 hours per day, while elephants sleep 3-4).
- Despite popular belief, tryptophan has not been linked to changes in sleep patterns.  Turkey does not magically make you tired, but overeating and certain times of the day do.
- Your body experiences a natural dip in alertness at both 2am and 2pm.
- REM sleep is important in brain growth and maturity.  Deprivation in REM sleep can lead to behavioral and psychological problems
- Drinking alcohol may make you feel sleepy by causing somnolence, but it reduces the amount of REM sleep that you get.

Courtesy of Wikipedia