Functions of Sleep: A Point of View or Opinion
Saccomanni Bernardino
ABSTRACT
Sleep is defined as a natural decrease in the perception [1] of the external environment that occurs periodically and reversibly, but retaining a certain degree of reactivity towards the environment and autonomous functions [2]. Sleep is considered an active process of biological, cyclical and, it is essential for survival. Most adults require an amount of sleep between 7-8 hours per day; however, there are individual variations regarding the schedule, duration, and internal structure of the dream [3]. Sleep is associated with the state of physical and mental health. It is documented that during this process of neurobiological nature, functions inherent to the organism are verified [3]. Through sleep, the organism recovers from everyday fatigue [4]. Likewise; sleep plays a relevant role in the consolidation of learning and memory. On the contrary, sleep deprivation impairs psychomotor and cognitive functions including the time of reaction to a stimulus, surveillance capacity, judgment, attention and, information processing. In addition, sleep deprivation is associated with decreased concentration and high frequency of affective disorders [5-7]. It is estimated that sleep disorders and alterations in the circadian rhythm affect 15-20% of adult individuals [7,8]. Numerous studies show that sleep disorders favor the development of various diseases, and can adversely affect their evolution, including cardiovascular disease, glucose intolerance, hypertension (HAS) and obesity. On the other hand, in several investigations it is shown that sleep disorders can adversely affect the state of mental health causing excessive drowsiness, fatigue, cognitive alterations and affective disorders [5,6,7,9].
