Sleeping Better

• How much sleep do I need?
• Do older people need less sleep?
• Do teens require less sleep? How about college students?
• What can I do to sleep more deeply and restfully?
• What difference does it make if I miss a few hours' sleep?
• What if I'm too busy to sleep? Can I just get by with the occasional nap?
• Can I just sleep in on the weekends if I don't sleep well during the week?
• What is sleep debt?
• What exactly is a sleep disorder and what are the symptoms?
• What exactly does sleep do for the body?

 
How much sleep do I need?

Some people, particularly celebrities, admit to needing only four or five hours' sleep. Businesspeople and politicians are notorious for shunning sleep. While they may suffer no obvious ill effects, we recommend that you sleep as much as you need to feel rested. The general norm is eight hours. However, you may find seven adequate to your needs and your energy level. You know when you've had "enough" sleep because you feel well rested, energized and alert.

Even though some older people may have more difficulty sleeping, they still need restorative sleep to combat the effects of illness and aging. Illness, poor sleep habits and inactivity all contribute to sleep disturbances and disorders. Eight hours is still the ideal amount.

It's a misconception that teens require less sleep. They all seem to get less sleep because of their hectic schedules. Teenagers need 8 hours at the minimum, and ideally ten hours for complete health. With the right amount of sleep, teenagers feel better and get better grades. Parents can help their teens understand the importance of sleep and help them establish a regular bedtime routine.

College students aren't known for getting much sleep, but they still need 8 hours to function and to succeed. When you're in college, it's up to you to manage your time and say "no" to extra activities that may crowd your schedule. All-nighters before an exam may actually hinder your memory. Sleep during the week, and then you'll be free to go out on the weekends. For students juggling school and a job, sleep is doubly important, so make the time.

A good quality mattress is the first step. However, there are other steps that you can take to sleep well. Try to establish a bedtime routine that includes relaxing activities, such as reading or yoga exercises. Computer games and television can relax you as long as you observe a regular bedtime. Drink fluids before bed, but don't drink so heavily that you have to go to the bathroom in the night. Avoid alcohol. Don't exercise heavily before bed; otherwise adrenaline may keep you up. If you have to eat before bedtime, have something light. Some foods may also help you get to sleep, such as warm milk, turkey, bananas, and peanut butter.

On occasion, you can get by without the required eight hours. But if you are regularly missing sleep, you are headed for a host of health problems and other issues. Besides the fatigue, you can experience memory loss, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and a general lack of energy. The costs of drowsiness on the job or while driving are tremendous.

You may have a period in your life when you need to stay awake for days at a stretch - a rush project at the office, military duty, caring for someone who is ill, caring for a new baby. Beyond that, however, there is no such thing as "too busy to sleep." If you are regularly missing out on sleep, you need to consider the impact that has on your life. Family, work and/or school, are important commitments, but so is your health.  Try to say "no" to an overcrowded schedule. Sleep regenerates you, so that you can give 100% to the areas of your life that are most important.

Can I just sleep in on the weekends if I don't sleep well during the week?

Sleeping late on a Saturday can actually throw off your sleep schedule and make it more difficult for you to get the restful sleep you need. An occasional lazy Sunday morning is fine. However, if you are consistently sleeping in on the weekends, it may be a sign that your Circadian rhythm is off, and that you have accumulated a "sleep debt" that sleeping in will not erase. It may also indicate that it might be time to see if you can change your schedule to better accommodate your body's need for sleep.

When you sleep only four hours a night, your body feels the lack of sleep, and even if you sleep a solid eight hours the next night, you are still four hours behind. Over time, the four hours multiplies, especially if you keep shortchanging yourself on sleep. It's just like having a loan from the bank; you may keep up the minimum payments but the interest just keeps piling up. Promise yourself that you will follow a healthy, debt-free sleep pattern.

If you have a regular sleep routine, a good sleeping environment and a quality mattress, you should be on your way to maximizing your quality of life.  However, if you still feel tired and have difficulty falling asleep, you may have a sleep disorder. If you wake up in the middle of the night and feel choking sensations, you may have sleep apnea, which causes you to stop breathing during the night. Insomnia is the persistent inability to sleep no matter what methods you try. In narcolepsy, you may fall asleep no matter what you are doing. There are varied symptoms for each sleep disorder. You should consult a doctor if you experience any unusual sleep patterns, excessive and uncontrollable sleepiness, or unusual sleep disturbances. Many times, your doctor will refer you to a sleep disorder specialist.

Shakespeare said sleep "knits up the raveled sleeve of care." What he meant was that sleep repairs the body. When you are ill, the first thing doctors prescribe is rest. Sleep allows the body to do the work of healing wounds, maintaining all the inner organs, and keeping skin refreshed. Skin care experts say that getting enough sleep is one of the main strategies for healthy, young-looking skin. Sleep also allows the mind to rest and to unburden itself of all the worries accumulated during the day. It allows us to dream, which is vitally important for our well-being. Dreaming is traditionally associated with the deepest sleep, REM sleep, which studies show is the most refreshing and satisfying sleep, allowing us to deeply relax and wake up at our mental and physical best.