There are two factors that will need to be considered when knowing your sleep patterns. Both are completely natural and exert a deep influence on how we sleep. In addition to the circadian rhythm and our lack or owl standing (see below), we’re ruled by the simple cycle of life. Aging significantly influences our sleeping patterns; six-month-old babies sleep up to 16 hours per day, teenagers need about 9adults need about 8, and out of middle age the length and quality of sleep often gradually reduces.

Insomnia

Older people report more cases of night-time awakenings, insomnia and undesirable early waking. They can frequently find sleep affected by illness or other difficulties, like snoring and have less REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, however, because of more frequent night-time awakenings, they recall more dreams. We’re either’larks’ (or ‘early birds’), so we prefer to rise early and go to bed early, or ‘owls’, making us more prone to late nights and after rising times.

This can change during our life – most people will recall being owls when we were teens! Your lifestyle pattern, like taking children to school or shift work, may force you into a set regime, but your natural tendency will choose whether you will be at your best when you awaken. Larks are often breezy and perky in the evenings, but fade quickly in the evenings. Owls, on the other hand, will despise an early morning start but find that they’re filled with energy at night.

Ideal World

In an ideal world, we would begin work in the time best suited to our mood. In our hectic daily lives, it’s easy to sacrifice sleep to be able to satisfy the many demands of hectic schedules. We will need to realize, however, that in doing so we’re depleting our natural resources that fight disease and help us to cope with daily demands. The immune system is our defence against disease and it filters out the damaged and faulty body cells.

A well-operating system can find a virus and decrease into a snuffle, rather than create a sledgehammer that wipes out for weeks. The lymph nodes create the cells that attack invaders. They can be found in your neck, armpits and groin, which explains the reason why they feel swollen once you’re sick – it means they do their job properly. A healthy immune system requires vitamins and nutrients to keep it, and above all it requires sleep. Too little sleep suppresses your immune system and keeps it from having the ability to resist infection effectively.