How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?
Most Americans don't get enough sleep. Sleep is a time for restoration and recuperation, and everyone needs to rejuvenate their mind and body through sleep after a busy day of work and play. Not surprisingly, research shows that lack of sleep affects your overall health, increases the risk of certain diseases and even shortens lifespan. How much sleep do you need at night?
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
There isn't a set formula to tell you the ideal amount of sleep you need at night. Everyone is different, but recent research has shed new light on this important issue. According to studies, sleeping less than six hours a night increases the risk of a host of diseases including heart disease, obesity, diabetes, stroke and cancer. According to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, sleeping less than this boosts the risk of hypertension by 37%.
Certainly, based on this data, the ideal amount of sleep is at least six hours, but can you get too much sleep as well? According to the Nurses' Health Study, too much slumber can work against you too. Sleeping more than nine hours a night increases the risk of coronary artery disease, the most common form of heart disease among Americans
Other research shows that staying in bed beyond nine hours boosts the risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Even more disturbingly, several studies show that too much sleep increases the risk of dying prematurely. Too much of a good thing isn't better, at least when it comes to sleep.
So what does this mean if you're trying to figure out how much sleep you and your family need? According to most research, seven to eight hours a night is about right for most adults. Children and teenagers need more, while seniors may feel good on less. If you're suffering from a physical problem or under stress, you may need more than the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep a night to function best and reduce the risk of illness. Each individual has slightly different sleep requirements, but, as a generalization, you need at least seven hours, but no more than nine hours a night.
How to Better Determine the Ideal Amount of Sleep
Since each individual is different, keeping a sleep diary for a few weeks will help you pinpoint how much sleep you need. For three weeks, write down the time you went to bed and the time you got up, how many times you awakened during the night and how you felt in the morning. At the end of the day, make a notation about your energy level - and how you felt overall.
After a while, you'll start to see a pattern, which should help you identify more precisely how much sleep you need to feel your best. During this time, limit the amount of caffeine you consume and make note of any medications you're taking since this can alter sleep habits.
Sleep quality is another important issue. Just because you lie in bed for eight hours doesn't mean you got the kind of restorative sleep you need to stay healthy. If you're awakening frequently during the night or tossing and turning before falling asleep, talk to your doctor to make sure you don't have a medical problem that could be contributing to your sleep difficulties like depression, anxiety or sleep apnea.
How Much Sleep Do You Need: The Bottom Line?
The ideal amount of sleep varies with each individual, but if you're an adult, get at least seven hours of sleep but less than nine hours of good quality sleep each night for maximum health and protection against disease.
About the Author
Cinergy Health & Life Insurance Agency is dedicated to providing quality health and life insurance plans for people in a variety of life situations. For more information on a selection of health and insurance topics, visit the Cinergy Health & Life Learning Center at http://www.cinergyhealth.com .
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