Some common myths about sleep: Myth 1 : During sleep your body and brain shut down for rest and relaxation.
Fact : No
Although during sleep our body rests and restores its energy, sleep is an active state. In fact the sleeping brain does a lot of work. The sleeping brain is more active at various times at night than it ever during the day.
Myth 2 : Inspite of getting the usual night of sleep dozing unintentionally during the day is normal.
Fact : No
The person who dozes unintentionally during the day despite of getting the usual night of sleep could be having some form of a sleep disorder. This needs proper treatment as untreated sleep disorder can reduce productivity and increase the risk of several disorders.
Myth 3 : Worry is the primary cause of insomnia.
Fact : No
Insomnia can be due to various reasons including physical and mental conditions and stress.
Myth 4 : Insomnia affects only the elderly.
Fact : No
Insomnia affects people at all ages, usually for an occasional night or two. But sometimes it can be for weeks months or even years.
Myth 5 : Our body has the ability to adjust to different sleep schedules.
Fact : No
The biological clock of the human body is programmed such that each person feels sleepy during the night time and is active during the day time. This is the reason why people who travel through multiple time zones have a ‘jet lag’ because they cannot maintain a regular sleep-wake schedule.
Myth 6 : As people grow older they need less sleep.
Fact : No
It is not true that older people need less sleep but the ability to sleep for a for long periods of time and get into the deep restful stages of sleep decreases with age. Also older people could have medical conditions which contribute to sleep problems.
Myth 7 : Insomnia can be cured by itself.
Fact : No
Insomnia could be caused due to various reasons and requires proper attention and treatment.
Myth 8 : People who drink alcohol regularly sleep better because alcohol has a sedative effect
Fact : No
People who drink alcohol or in fact who abuse alcohol or drugs often suffer from insomnia |
