Whether it's to gain prominence, a promotion, recognition or as a form of self-affirmation, the expression "work while they sleep" has come to be taken seriously - even too seriously. The truth is that depriving sleep in the name of a profession is not a noble or admirable attitude. Sleeping is essential for maintaining good health, and neglecting a habit so important to your health.vital doesn't really seem advantageous. One day the body will take its toll.

Insomnia is the sleep disorder that most affects us today - one in every 3 people in Brazil suffers from insomnia symptoms, according to a survey by SleepUp And guess what? Stress caused by day-to-day issues is one of the main reasons for this disease. 69% more chance of having a heart attack .

In that same vein, Generation Z proved to be the most affected mental illness, and professional issues are the main causes that explain the onset of these conditions. Not to mention that, according to World Health Organization Overwork is responsible for the death of 745,000 people a year around the world.

In other words, sleeping less in order to try to deliver more and better is a mistake. .

In the wave of work while they sleep, are we belittling sleep?

In the age of productivity and connection, it would not be strange to think that the hours we spend sleeping are actually lost moments.

But no one can stand to go that long without sleep. That is why there is a search for stimulants and ways to stay awake as long as possible. Surrendering to sleep? only when there is no way out.

Camila de Masi, sleep psychologist, specialist in neuropsychology and cognitive behavioral therapy, believes that some people don't recognize the importance of sleep and see it as a passive process, since while we are sleeping, our ability to respond and interact is diminished.

"In fact, we have a lowered response to the environment, but this does not mean that sleep is a simple process. On the contrary, sleep involves extremely complex mechanisms of our central nervous system," he explains.

So no matter how much we are not consciously producing something, our organism is working tirelessly in many ways.

What Happens While We Sleep

The levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and noradrenaline are adjusted during sleep, which significantly influences mental health.

In addition, there are four phases of sleep, which work in a cyclical manner throughout the night. Each one of them has its own characteristics and functions. Camila explains, for example, that the REM stage is responsible for the consolidation of certain types of memory, while other learning is organized only in the non-REM phase - slow wave sleep. Deep relaxation is the responsibility ofof stage 3, and so on...

"In all this restoration, we balance our physical and mental functioning, and this will adjust our levels of motivation, mood, decision-making ability, and control of our impulsiveness," he says.

Thus, many cognitive issues (essential for productivity and focus) are worked on exclusively during sleep. study has even revealed that sleep deprivation causes changes in some brain functions and thus leads to memory and concentration problems.

Having quality sleep and the appropriate amount for our needs is what makes us function well and have adequate productivity.

Read more: Sleep phases play role in brain's memory process, says study

An end to work while they sleep

To sleep well two things must go together - quantity and quality. We have a minimum number of hours for all those functions to be performed. In general, the average is 7 to 8 hours a night, but this number can vary a little more or less according to each individual.

In any case, the psychologist reinforces that it's no use sleeping the necessary number of hours if the quality is not good: "A very agitated sleep, with a lot of movement, the presence of a more specific sleep disorder or respiratory issues, for example, are some of the factors that influence the quality of sleep".

Thus, she explains that sleep deprivation is related to both the short duration and the lack of quality. Among the consequences of this are: dysregulation of the levels of some hormones, difficulty in cellular recovery, and impacts on mood modulation (more irritation, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and impulsiveness).

Besides, during sleep deprivation, mental agility is compromised and, thus, there is a slowing down of cognitive processes: "These abilities modulated while we sleep, and which suffer interference from bad nights of sleep, are important not only for work but for life in general", he reminds us.

Treating the root of the problem

Much of the spread of the "work while they sleep" idea has come from this need to always be alert, alert, and connected. But this has caused people to develop an enormous difficulty in relaxing.

Most of Camila's patients suffer from this. The neuropsychologist notices, above all, that they reach a moment in which they can no longer educate their body and brain to decrease activity and, thus, induce relaxation at bedtime. On the contrary: these people stay in a hyperalert state, and insomnia is the consequence.

The gold standard intervention, according to the psychologist, is cognitive behavioral therapy associated with the treatment of insomnia. That is, a specific approach worked on in therapy with a specialized professional who seeks to change the patient's beliefs about sleep and adjust thebehaviors and habits to improve rest - this includes, for example, sleep hygiene.

"The great difficulty for people today is to disconnect. Because disconnecting involves making a choice that, many times, seems to cause a loss. So, changing this mentality is something fundamental. Understand that when you choose to disconnect, developing a routine focused on the night, that prioritizes sleep, that will stop your body and your head is a gift you give yourself and not a loss,defends.

Source: Camila De Masi Teixeira (CRP 06/94613), psychologist, Master of Science from the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP); specialist in Neuropsychology from the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Santa Casa de São Paulo; specialist in Cognitive Behavior Therapy applied to Sleep Disorders from UNIFESP; Sleep Psychologist certified by the Brazilian Sleep Association (ABS)