Myths about Sleep and Insomnia problems and remedy

MYTHS

Many myths and misconceptions have grown up about sleep, and it would be impossible to cover them all here. But it does seem to us to be Sleep important to discuss a few, still widely prevalent ones. Among them is idea that an hour of sleep before midnight is worth two hours after goodnight. The fact is that when you sleep is less important than that you do sleep. Some people prefer to work late and get up late; others prefer 10 get up early in the morning and go to sleep early at night. 

Sir William slur labeled the former "owls" and the latter "larks." It doesn't matter which you are except that if you know which you are and can arrange your life and work around the fact, you probably will be more effective and happier. When sleep takes place is not important; the proper amount of good sleep is what counts.

Another misconception: five or six hours, even just three or four, of sound sleep are worth more than eight hours of restless sleep. The fact I'; that while sound sleep is desirable, so is enough sleep. A third myth: sleep, to be good, must be consecutive; you need to get your seven or eight or nine hours at one time. Actually, there is no in- violate rule. If you feel well after sleeping three, four, or five hours and taking naps during the day, as Edison did, this is satisfactory for you though it may not be for someone else.

INSOMNIA

There is certainly no question about many people having problems with sleep. They can be very real problems but it is worth looking at some new insights sleep research provides on imaginary insomnia. Everyone has heard of arguments between husband and wife, one complaining that the night was sleepless, and the other that the spouse slept soundly and snored so much that the other was kept awake. In one experiment in a sleep laboratory, investigators worked with people who claimed they could not sleep at all. As part of the study, each insomniac was required to press a bedside button whenever during the night he heard a buzzer.

More often than not, when the buzzer was sounded, there was no response. And yet in the morning, the self-convinced insomniacs greeted investigators with their usual protest of never having slept a wink. That people who honestly believe they get no sleep at all do, indeed, has been demonstrated repeatedly in laboratories. Confusion between sleep and waking may arise because some people consistently walk to the time it takes them to fall asleep.

They may do so because it is possible to fail to distinguish between dreams and waking and because light sleep and waking may become intermixed in, leaving an impression of a long stretch of sleeplessness. It should be emphasized that imaginary insomnia is not a laughing. Even if the insomnia is only imaginary, sleep that is not refresh.