How often have you been told to ‘get a good night’s sleep’? Sleeping, much like eating and exercising, is one of the most important factors in determining your health.
But this leads to the age-old question – how much sleep does a person actually need? What’s more, how do you know how much sleep you need for your particular lifestyle? What happens to you if you don’t get enough sleep? And is there any way to change how you sleep?
As with all things concerning your lifestyle, it’s all about making small but crucial changes to your daily habits. However, it’s no secret that this is easier said than done.
Moreover, the amount of information out there regarding sleep patterns and sleep habits can be overwhelming, so it’s best to stick to a few simple rules when you want to improve or change how much, or how little, sleep you are getting!
Before you start to panic about your sleeping habits, don’t worry! Here are a few important tips to keep in mind when figuring out how much sleep is the right amount of sleep for you so that you can be healthy, happy and well rested to face anything that your day might bring!
Why Is Getting the Right Amount of Sleep so Important for You?
There is an endless list of reasons for why sleeping, and more specifically, how much sleep you get is one of the most important factors for your overall well-being; after all, you spend about one-third of your lifetime asleep! Here are some of the prime reasons why you should be diligent about how much sleep you get.
How Does the Amount of Sleep You Get Affect Your Health?
Fewer hours of sleep a night has been linked to an increased risk of developing a number of serious health conditions. One study shows that not getting the right amount of sleep necessary for your body might result in you being more susceptible to cardiovascular disease, strokes and coronary heart disease.
Researchers are unsure as to what exactly causes this correlation but surmise that it could be due to the disruptions caused by a lack of sleep to certain physiological processes such as your blood pressure, glucose metabolism, or inflammation.
However, there is actually a bright side to this; improving your sleep habits might be one of the easiest (and most relaxing!) ways to positively impact your health!
Are You Having Trouble Concentrating?
Do you find yourself unable to meet deadlines? Do you wonder why you have a shorter attention span? It could be because you’re not getting enough sleep!
This is because sleep plays an important role in brain function. Lack of sleep can negatively affect concentration and cognition thereby decreasing your productivity and performance. There are numerous studies to show the negative side effects of sleep deprivation on the quality of brain function.
So if you want to stay at the top of your game, get the right amount of sleep!
So, What Does the Amount of Sleep You Need Depend On?
So how do you figure out how much sleep you need? Naturally, it varies from person to person and is dependent on myriad factors.
Here are the most significant factors to take into consideration when planning your sleep cycle.
Your Age
According to experts, the amount of sleep you should get differs depending on your age.
- Newborns (0-3 months old) should get 14-17 hours of sleep a day.
- Infants (4-11 months old) should get 12-15 hours of sleep a day.
- Toddlers (1-2 years old) should get 11-14 hours of sleep a day.
- Preschoolers (3-5 years old) should get 10-13 hours of sleep a day.
- School-age children (6-13 years old) should get 9-11 hours of sleep a day.
- Teenagers (14-17 years old) should get 8-10 hours of sleep a day.
- Younger adults (18-25 years old) should get 7-9 hours of sleep a day.
- Adults (26-64 years old) should get 7-9 hours of sleep a day.
- Older adults (65+ years old) should get 7-8 hours of sleep a day.
Genes
Your genetic make-up can indicate how much or little sleep you need so it is important to know yourself and your predisposition to conclude how many hours of sleep you need.
Diurnal Preference
Your genes help determine if you are more of a morning person or if you find it easier to stay awake at night and sleep during the day. This could help you schedule your sleep cycle to suit your specific preferences.
Duration Preference
Research shows that how well you function on a certain number of hours of sleep is, in part, determined by whether or not you have a specific gene mutation.
This means that how much sleep you need is unique to you and it is worth exploring whether you actually need the requisite number of hours prescribed or if you function best on an hour more or less.
Sleep Quality
Research shows that how well you function on a certain number of hours of sleep is, in part, determined by whether or not you have a specific gene mutation.
This means that how much sleep you need is unique to you and it is worth exploring whether you actually need the requisite number of hours prescribed or if you function best on an hour more or less.
It is also worth noting that the quality of sleep you get is just as important as how much sleep you get.
You should be conscious of how well you’re sleeping; for example, if you find that you are tired despite getting the requisite number of hours of sleep you should first check to make sure you do not have an underlying health issue that could be affecting how well you sleep.
How Can You Improve Your Sleep Habits?
Now, if after reading this you find that you need to increase the number of hours of sleep you’re getting at night, look no further — there are tons of steps you can take to make sure your body gets the rest it needs!
Here are just a few of them that are easy to follow through on!
Put Your Electronics Away
In today’s world, checking phones or watching shows on laptops are a part of most people’s bedtime routines; but to get the best quality sleep you need to put away your electronic devices!
Increase Exercise and Activity
Exercise can help you sleep better but it is also wise to exercise a minimum of three hours before you plan to go to bed, or an even better option is to fit in your workouts earlier in the day.
Have a Routine
Having a regular routine can make all the difference. If you go to bed and wake up at more or less the same time every day, your body learns to follow its own internal clock. This will help you keep track of how much sleep you’re really getting!
Watch What You Eat and Drink Before Bed
Eating well before you fall asleep is always a good idea. Similarly, it is also important to drink the right amount of water before bed; just enough to prevent you from disrupting your sleep cycle by waking up thirsty in the middle of the night!
Make Sure You’re Sleeping Environment Is Comfortable
Be sure to have a mattress that provides you with the right kind of support, have your room at a comfortable temperature, and of course, have a peaceful and quiet environment!
Most importantly, however, try to ensure that your room is dark. The lack of light sends a message to your body, causing your body temperature to fall and your muscles to relax, thereby signaling to your body that it is time for you to rest.
How Can I Implement These Tips?
In short, you can follow a few steps, one after the other, before you go to bed.
- Eat and exercise a few hours before you go to bed.
- Drink the right amount of water before going to bed.
- Make sure your room is at the right temperature.
- Put your electronic devices away.
- Turn all your lights off.
You will be surprised by what a difference this can make!
So, there you have it. You now know how to calculate precisely how much sleep you should get to suit your unique lifestyle. Here are a few general guidelines.
- In general, adults should aim to get an average of 7-8 hours of sleep a day.
- How you eat and exercise affect how well you sleep.
- The exact number of hours you need is ultimately specific to you.
It is a particular combination of your age and your genes along with external factors such as your lifestyle, your health, your habits, and your immediate environment, that can help you determine what your distinctive (and ideal!) sleep cycle should look like.
Remember, you can control many of these factors, and the ones that you cannot control, you can be informed about, so as to help you figure out what’s best for you.
Now you have the precise tools to figure out exactly how much sleep you need!
Last update on 2024-02-27 at 19:01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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