Khaberni - A recent report indicates that adhering to the traditional rule of eight hours of sleep daily is no longer sufficient to ensure physical and psychological rest, amidst the impacts of the accelerated digital life.
According to contemporary scientific research, sleep quality is now affected by factors that extend beyond sleep duration, to include the nature of the neural and environmental response people experience daily.
The report, published in "National Geographic," mentions that many people do not reach the deep sleep stage necessary for recovery, despite spending enough time in bed.
Experts attribute this to the continuous stimulation from using digital devices, which keeps the brain in a perpetual state of alertness, hindering the decrease of stress hormones and delaying the body's entry into a restful state.
Sleep scientists affirm that the continuous alerts and the culture of speed contribute to keeping the nervous system in a state of alert, while excessive use of smartphones is linked to declining sleep quality even with a constant number of hours.
The phenomenon known as "social jetlag", resulting from varying sleep times between weekdays and weekends, leads to a disruption in the biological clock, affecting the depth of sleep.
The biological outcomes of these factors result in a decline in the deep sleep stage, essential for cell repair, along with a weakened ability of the brain to eliminate toxins, and increased levels of cortisol hormone at night, which makes sleep less effective in terms of recovery.
Conversely, experts emphasize the importance of what is known as "psychological disengagement," meaning the brain's perception of having completely finished the day's demands.
In conclusion, experts recommend adopting practical measures such as setting consistent wake-up times, reducing exposure to light in the evening, and establishing clear daily rituals to end work, aimed at sending safety signals that help the body enter a state of deep rest.
