Sleep is one of the most vital components that our bodies need regularly. Sleep is essential to the body because, during this state, the body can repair and rejuvenate itself. Getting the right amount of sleep can be very beneficial to our health, it prevents us from gaining extra weight, reduces the risk of health diseases, and reduces our illness duration.
How much sleep is needed?
The amount of sleep that a person requires vary from person to person and would also depend on the person’s age.
- Newborn (0-3 months) – 14-17 hours
- Infant (4-12 months) – 12-16 (including the nap time)
- Toddler (1-2 years) – 11-14 hours (including the nap time)
- Preschool (3-5 years) – 10-13 hours (including the nap time)
- School Age (6-12 years) – 9-12 hours
- Teenager (13-18 years) – 8-10 hours
- Adult (18-64 years) – 7 hours or more
- Other Adults (65 years and above) – 7-8 hours
The hours of sleep that a person need is very important, however other aspects of sleep can also affect our health and overall well-being. Even with the right amount of hours of sleep, there is a possibility that you will still feel lethargic in the morning. This may be caused by several reasons including sleeping disorders like snoring and parasomnia or waking up multiple times.
Sleep Deprivation
Nowadays, sleep is often being neglected due to several reasons like work, games, or addiction. Sleep deprivation has some serious impact on the body. Aside from the physical effect on our body, sleep deprivation can also be mentally-draining and would sometimes cause accidents due to the loss of concentration.
Some of the signs that you are deprived of sleep include:
- Falling asleep immediately when going to bed.
- Requires more sleep during the weekends.
- Dozing off while watching TV or just relaxing
- Needing to nap during daytime
- Sleepy after having a meal
- Already tired in the afternoon
- Relying on the snooze button
- Difficulty in getting out of bed
Ways to Sleep Better
There are things you can do or prepare so that you can have a well-rested sleep each night. This well-rested sleep might just be the very thing that you need to improve the quality of your life. Here are ways to getting that good sleep:
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Have a Sleep Routine
This might be a little hard, especially during the weekends when you can sleep until noon but you need to have a routine. Changing your sleeping schedule will affect your body’s biological clock and thus, giving you more sleeping disorders. Hard as it may be, sleeping at the right time even on your days off can help you sleep better.
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Do some Healthy Exercise
Without the proper exercise during the daytime, our bodies will have excess energy during the night time and this would make falling asleep difficult.
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Have a Good Diet
Food or drinks that are rich in sugar or caffeine can also affect our sleep. You can still have them during the daytime but it would be best to avoid them in the late afternoon.
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Avoid Smoking
According to a recent study, smoking has been linked to poor sleep. Compared to non-smokers, smokers tend to feel tired even with the correct amount of sleep.
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Don’t use Alcohol as a Sedative
Even though alcohol can help us fall asleep faster, it sometimes causes us to wake up earlier than intended, and falling back asleep will be difficult by then.
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Avoid using Gadgets before Bedtime
Lights from the screens of gadgets can stimulate the brain and make sleeping very difficult. Put your gadgets away an hour before your sleep schedule.
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Turn off the Lights
Sleeping in a well-lit room can sometimes disrupt our sleep because the light is the brain’s indication to get up.
No matter how healthy your diet is or how much exercise you have done, without the proper sleep, it will still take a toll on the body. That is how important a well-rested sleep is on our body.
