How Much Sleep Do I Need?

Sleep is critical for a healthy body and a healthy mind. Adequate and quality sleep should be the hallmarks of good sleep. Every human being needs sleep and from this fact comes the question of how much sleep is required.

An adult should sleep for 7 to 8 hours each night. Children require more sleep than adults. Newborn babies sleep an average 16 to 18 hours every night. Pre-school age children require 11 to 12 hours of sleep while school age children should get at least 10 hours of sleep. Teenagers need about 9 hours of sleep every night.

The advantages of getting enough and quality sleep are numerous. Enough sleep ensures that:

·         Brain power and mood are highly boosted

·         People are less likely to fall sick

·         Performance in school and at work is improved

·         People are more likely to maintain healthy body weight

·         People can think more clearly

·         Better decisions can be made and injuries are avoided

There is enough cause for worry if you cannot stay asleep through the night or you have trouble falling asleep. Sleep tends to follow the natural cycle of daytime and darkness. This is in tune to the body’s biological clock which keeps us alert during the day and will signal for sleep once night sets in.

Careers, studies, traveling, and other activities have made it entirely difficult to stick to the natural sleep cycles as dictated by the biological clock. People are working late into the night and even through all hours of the night affecting sleep quantity and sleep quality.

Other reasons which contributed to inadequate amount of sleep are:

        i.            Medication

      ii.            Pain

    iii.            Stress

     iv.            Sleep disorders

       v.            Caffeine and other stimulants

To get adequate sleep, a number of things can be done to add or remove them from your daily routine. These changes ensure you do not have trouble sleeping:

·         Develop a bedtime routine to be followed strictly. Ensure that you get to bed at the same time every night and sleep the same amount of time each night.

·         Take a hot bath before bed to feel relaxed

·         Follow a regular sleep schedule

·         Make the bedroom dark and quiet

·         Keep off stimulants and especially caffeine at least an hour before going to bed

·         Quit smoking

·         Exercise earlier in the day

·         Avoid talking on the phone, eating, or watching TV while in bed

·         Limit daytime naps to less than 1 hour

·         Limit the intake of alcohol

·         Avoid large meals just before going to bed

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