How to Get Enough Sleep Every Night
It might be time to change the way we think about sleep...
and the priority we give it in our lives.
To get enough sleep isn't a luxury for those with time on their hands; the right amount of sleep is now considered a must for anyone, bringing a huge boost to your health, your mood and so much more.
Experts tell us that the gap between getting just enough sleep and sleeping too little is profound, suggesting that all of us pay more attention to the role sleep plays in our lives.
If you're one of the many busy souls getting less than the recommended and research supported 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night, you won't be able to deprive yourself like this over the long term.
But how much sleep is enough? Experts say there is no "magic number", different ages need different amounts, and even then the right amount is highly individual.
Research has even confirmed that sleep needs change across populations, so what's right for you may be too much or too little for another.
In the end, you need to make getting enough sleep a priority, just as you do any other healthy lifestyle choice.
In return, you'll reap some pretty impressive benefits.
1.
Better overall health: countless studies have found links between insufficient sleep and heart disease, heart attacks, diabetes and obesity.
One study found disrupted sleep had an effect after only four days on blood glucose levels in a third of 10 healthy subjects, putting them in the pre-diabetic range.
2.
Better sex life: a poll by the National Sleep Foundation has up to 26% of respondents reporting their sex lives suffer because they're just too tired.
For men, impaired sleep can also bring lower testosterone levels.
3.
Less pain: any type of pain, chronic or acute, gets better if you get enough sleep; though being in pain makes sleeping a challenge to be sure.
There's a lot of research showing a link between sleep loss and a lower pain threshold; this may be why many doctors now prescribe sleep medication to patients as it can offer better pain management than some painkillers.
4.
Less chance of injury: sleep deprivation has been linked with many terrible disasters, not to mention the fact that the Institute of Medicine estimates one of five car accidents in the U.
S.
are caused by drowsy driving.
Being sleep deprived doesn't just make you a danger behind the wheel, it also makes you more likely to trip, fall off a ladder, cut yourself...
be the victim of a nasty household accident that could have been avoided.
5.
Better mood: we all know that being tired makes you cranky, but lack of sleep can also effect your ability to regulate your emotions - so you're more likely to snap, or burst into tears, perhaps start laughing uncontrollably.
Over the long term the picture is less clear, but insomnia is linked to depression, anxiety and an increased risk of suicide.
No one can say if the lack of sleep is a symptom of depression/anxiety or part of the cause.
6.
Better weight control: sleep loss appears to go along with an increased risk of weight gain, partly because if you're chronically overtired, you won't have the energy to go for a jog or cook a healthy meal after work.
What's more, the hormone leptin, which plays a part in making you feel full, drops if you don't get enough sleep, making you just plain hungrier (not to mention craving high fat, high calorie foods) than those who are getting enough sleep.
7.
Clearer thinking: sleep loss does affect how you think, impairing your cognition, your attention and your decision making abilities.
Research has shown that a subject who is sleep deprived is substantially worse at solving logic or math problems than when they're well rested.
Careless mistakes are also far more likely.
8.
Better memory: experts know that while we sleep our brain processes and consolidates our memories from the day.
If you aren't getting enough sleep, those memories may not be stored correctly and may well be lost.
9.
Stronger immunity: a recent study tracked over 150 subjects, monitoring their sleep habits for two weeks, then exposing them to a cold virus.
Those who got 7 hours or less sleep a night were nearly three times more likely to get sick as those who got that magic eight hours sleep a night.
If you or someone you love is having trouble with sleep...
being sleepy during the day or when you should be awake and alert, snoring, dealing with leg cramps or tingling, or with gasping or difficulty breathing during sleep, long term insomnia or anything that's preventing you from getting the rest you need, it's time to visit your doctor.
There are lots of treatments that can help you get enough sleep that's so important to good health.
and the priority we give it in our lives.
To get enough sleep isn't a luxury for those with time on their hands; the right amount of sleep is now considered a must for anyone, bringing a huge boost to your health, your mood and so much more.
Experts tell us that the gap between getting just enough sleep and sleeping too little is profound, suggesting that all of us pay more attention to the role sleep plays in our lives.
If you're one of the many busy souls getting less than the recommended and research supported 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night, you won't be able to deprive yourself like this over the long term.
But how much sleep is enough? Experts say there is no "magic number", different ages need different amounts, and even then the right amount is highly individual.
Research has even confirmed that sleep needs change across populations, so what's right for you may be too much or too little for another.
In the end, you need to make getting enough sleep a priority, just as you do any other healthy lifestyle choice.
In return, you'll reap some pretty impressive benefits.
1.
Better overall health: countless studies have found links between insufficient sleep and heart disease, heart attacks, diabetes and obesity.
One study found disrupted sleep had an effect after only four days on blood glucose levels in a third of 10 healthy subjects, putting them in the pre-diabetic range.
2.
Better sex life: a poll by the National Sleep Foundation has up to 26% of respondents reporting their sex lives suffer because they're just too tired.
For men, impaired sleep can also bring lower testosterone levels.
3.
Less pain: any type of pain, chronic or acute, gets better if you get enough sleep; though being in pain makes sleeping a challenge to be sure.
There's a lot of research showing a link between sleep loss and a lower pain threshold; this may be why many doctors now prescribe sleep medication to patients as it can offer better pain management than some painkillers.
4.
Less chance of injury: sleep deprivation has been linked with many terrible disasters, not to mention the fact that the Institute of Medicine estimates one of five car accidents in the U.
S.
are caused by drowsy driving.
Being sleep deprived doesn't just make you a danger behind the wheel, it also makes you more likely to trip, fall off a ladder, cut yourself...
be the victim of a nasty household accident that could have been avoided.
5.
Better mood: we all know that being tired makes you cranky, but lack of sleep can also effect your ability to regulate your emotions - so you're more likely to snap, or burst into tears, perhaps start laughing uncontrollably.
Over the long term the picture is less clear, but insomnia is linked to depression, anxiety and an increased risk of suicide.
No one can say if the lack of sleep is a symptom of depression/anxiety or part of the cause.
6.
Better weight control: sleep loss appears to go along with an increased risk of weight gain, partly because if you're chronically overtired, you won't have the energy to go for a jog or cook a healthy meal after work.
What's more, the hormone leptin, which plays a part in making you feel full, drops if you don't get enough sleep, making you just plain hungrier (not to mention craving high fat, high calorie foods) than those who are getting enough sleep.
7.
Clearer thinking: sleep loss does affect how you think, impairing your cognition, your attention and your decision making abilities.
Research has shown that a subject who is sleep deprived is substantially worse at solving logic or math problems than when they're well rested.
Careless mistakes are also far more likely.
8.
Better memory: experts know that while we sleep our brain processes and consolidates our memories from the day.
If you aren't getting enough sleep, those memories may not be stored correctly and may well be lost.
9.
Stronger immunity: a recent study tracked over 150 subjects, monitoring their sleep habits for two weeks, then exposing them to a cold virus.
Those who got 7 hours or less sleep a night were nearly three times more likely to get sick as those who got that magic eight hours sleep a night.
If you or someone you love is having trouble with sleep...
being sleepy during the day or when you should be awake and alert, snoring, dealing with leg cramps or tingling, or with gasping or difficulty breathing during sleep, long term insomnia or anything that's preventing you from getting the rest you need, it's time to visit your doctor.
There are lots of treatments that can help you get enough sleep that's so important to good health.