| Wholesome sleep |
What is normal sleep?Sleep has only recently been scientifically studied because it was always assumed that it merely concerned a state of decreased activity. Only since the beginning of this century have studies revealed sleep to be an extremely active state in which some parts of the body are relatively dormant, while other parts are extremely active. Adapted to the day/night cycle, many bodily functions are subject to a 24 hour rhythm, for example, body temperature, hormone production, gastric acid production and bile production, blood pressure, heartbeat etc. Also the awake/sleep rhythm is adapted by the adult person to the day/night cycle. Moreover, there exist other shorter periodic rhythms which influence the conscious (awake) state.
For example, the second phase into which the body is put into a state of rest occurs during the afternoon. In the southern countries the afternoon quiet hour belongs to everyday life. In
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