Is the 8-Hour Sleep Rule a Myth or Truly Beneficial?
We have all heard from our doctors or physicians that 8 hours of sleep a night is crucial for the optimal functioning of an adult brain. We have all heard it, but how feasible is it to actually fulfill 8 hours a night of sleep and get everything done throughout the day? Is there really such a thing as an 8-hour sleep rule or is it a myth?
The 60-hour workweek has become the norm for working professionals around the world, and many entrepreneurs and business owners are even higher than that. Many of us go so far as to boast about our lack of sleep as if it’s some sort of badge of honor and proves just how hard you work.
That said, is it really smart to forego 8 hours of sleep a night in favor of professional pursuits? Is it worth burning the midnight oil to “grind and hustle” to consider yourself successful in today’s age?
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Recent development in sleep research has been trying to dig deeper into the 8-hour sleep rule and whether it’s a myth or if we actually need that much sleep to function optimally.
To Sleep or Not to Sleep? How About the 8-Hour Sleep Rule?
There is an epidemic going on in the student population. An epidemic of sleep deprivation. Most people are not focusing on the 8-hour sleep rule. There is increased pressure on students these days to perform exceptionally well in academic and extracurricular activities. As a result, students are foregoing more and more sleep in favor of doing their school activities.
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Not sleeping enough has a two-fold harmful effect:
- Firstly, not sleeping enough can have a negative impact on physical health.
- Secondly, not getting enough sleep can negatively impact learning and memory.
What Does Sleep Do to Our Bodies?
Sleep heals the body on a molecular, mental, and physical level. Sleep is so effective that studies believe that sleeping after getting the flu vaccine can boost its efficacy. Therefore, the 8-hour sleep rule is incredibly important.
Though we know we crave sleep, the exact purpose of WHY we need sleep is not clear to us. Well, a 2007 Harvard study has a few theories on why sleep is such an integral function of our well-being.
- During the daytime, normal functions of the brain create Adenosine. It is a by-product created by the normal functioning of cells. Adenosine is the hormone that promotes the feeling of tiredness at the end of a long day. When we sleep, the body has a chance to expel the adenosine hormone.
- One breakthrough in sleep research suggests that sleep might change the physical structure of our brains.
- For example, it is now clear that sleep plays a critical role in the development of a child or infant’s brain.
- According to energy consumption theory, sleep helps conserve energy at a time when it is hard to hunt for food (i.e., nighttime). When we are asleep, our body’s core temperature drops by 10%, thus decreasing the body’s caloric expenditure and helping it conserve energy.
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