Sleep… Sleep… Sleep…. how much is more & how much is little?
A lot of our wellbeing and energy to work is dependent on the quantity & quality of sleep we get. Studies show sleep & health are interlinked for one’s wellbeing.
Scientific research in various countries, makes clear that sleep is essential at any age. Sleep powers the mind, restores the body, and fortifies virtually every system in the body. But how much sleep do we really need in order to get these benefits?
Experts advise that healthy adults need between 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night. On the other hand, Babies, young children, and teens need even more sleep to enable their growth and development. People over 65 should also get 7 to 8 hours per night. This should be accompanied by a good quality mattress to sleep on.
Knowing the general recommendations for how much sleep you need is a first step. Then it’s important to reflect on your individual needs based on factors like your activity level and overall health. And finally, of course, it’s necessary to apply healthy sleep tips so that you can actually get the full night’s sleep that’s recommended.
In some cases, sleeping an hour more or less than the general range may be acceptable based on a person’s circumstances.
These guidelines serve as a rule-of-thumb for how much sleep children and adults need while acknowledging that the ideal amount of sleep can vary from person to person.
For that reason, the guidelines list a range of hours for each age group. The recommendations also acknowledge that, for some people with unique circumstances, there’s some wiggle room on either side of the range for “acceptable,” though still not optimal, amount of sleep.
Deciding how much sleep you need means considering your overall health, daily activities, and typical sleep patterns. Some questions that you help assess your individual sleep needs include:
- Are you productive, healthy, and happy on seven hours of sleep? Or have you noticed that you require more hours of sleep to get into high gear?
- Do you have coexisting health issues? Are you at higher risk for any disease?
- Do you have a high level of daily energy expenditure? Do you frequently play sports or work in a labor-intensive job?
- Do your daily activities require alertness to do them safely? Do you drive every day and/or operate heavy machinery? Do you ever feel sleepy when doing these activities?
- Are you experiencing or do you have a history of sleeping problems? One way to eliminate this is with right mattress & bed.
- Do you depend on caffeine to get you through the day?
- When you have an open schedule, do you sleep more than you do on a typical workday?
Start with the above-mentioned recommendations and then use your answers to these questions to home in on your optimal amount of sleep.
Love your health…….Love your sleep…..