Just How Important is Sleep?
Did you know your body burns calories in your sleep? The resting metabolic rate is the amount of energy (calories) it takes for your body to carry out its normal life functions at rest. You might be wondering, how this is possible and how your body even manages to work even while your sleeping. Well, that’s all science and evolution.
If your body does not work while your resting, then you will die. Such crucial tasks/functions are completed when you sleep like : your blood moves to your muscles and tissues for repairing, chemicals like growth hormones are released, your digestive systems does a lot of its work then, and your energy is even restored all throughout your body. Just like any house or building, in order to carry out a lot of activities, there is a need for a power source like electricity.
Your body uses calories as a “energy pills” to help carry out these necessary tasks. Your resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the measurement that looks at how many calories you burn at rest. Sometimes, having low or high levels of RMR can be harmful to your health. Factors like genetics, your weight, diet, sleeping environment, age, gender, and body composition can all change your RMR drastically. In fact, research has found RMR as a crucial factor for a child’s growth.
As a result, the importance of sleeping is nevertheless backed by science. It is important for toddlers to have 10 – 15 hours of sleep, preschoolers between ages 3 and 5 to have 10 – 13 hours of sleep, children between 6 and 13 should have 9 – 11 hours of sleep, and finally, teenagers should have 8 – 10 hours of sleep. Now for adults, they are recommended 7 – 9 hours of sleep everyday. Sleep is important because it allows for your body to complete the necessary tasks that will sustain proper health as well as provide energy restoration when you wake up.
