After a long tiring day of work, all we need is a night of good sleep. Getting enough sleep is a mandatory requirement for the well-being of a healthy body. You might have observed when you have not slept well, the next day feels lazy and demotivated. Proper sleep will lead to better functioning of the mind.
Science Explains How Much Sleep You Need
Sleep affects many mental aspects like productivity, concentration, and efficiency of the mind. The better you sleep, the better your mind functions. Apart from mental health, sleep also impacts the physical health of a person. It is scientifically proven that the body heals itself during sleep.
Any type of disease or pain in the body is healed during sleep. That’s the reason when we are not well, we tend to sleep more to let the body recover. Now, that we know the importance of sleep, let’s understand scientifically what sleep is. Sleep is a natural state of body and mind where awareness of external stimuli is reduced.
Years ago, people used to believe that during sleep, the mind, and body shut off. But according to modern research, the mind and body are subconsciously working to restore cells, process information, and improve health. During sleep, your temperature, heart rate, and brain activity change according to phases.
There are 5 primary stages of sleep: Stage1,2,3,4 and REM.
Stage 1 sleep is very light sleep and we can be awoken easily as muscle movements continue slowly.
Stage 2 sleep is where our brain waves (nerves carrying signals to the brain) slow down.
Stage 3 and 4 are deep sleep as there is no muscle activity.
Rapid Eye Movement or REM stage is where rapid eye movements take place and we have dreams.
The cycle repeats and by morning, people spend nearly all their sleep time in stages 1, 2, and REM. Every person has different requirements of sleep but the number of sleeping hours usually depends on the age group you belong to.
According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention sleep you need per 24 hours is: • For new-born (0-3 months): 14-17 hours of sleep in a day
• For infants (4-12 months): 12-16 hours of sleep in a day • For toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours of sleep in a day • Preschool kids (3-5 years): 10-13 hours of sleep in a day • Schoolkids (6-12 years): 9-12 hours of sleep in a day • Teens (13-18 years): 8-10 hours of sleep in a day • Adults (18-65 years): 7-9 hours of sleep in a day • Older than 65 years: 7-8 hours of sleep in a day If you do not sleep at least for the minimum hours required, you mess up with the ability of your body to perform at its peak.
You will have reduced immunity, attention span, responsiveness yet more anxiety and mood swings. Make sure you sleep according to the requirement of your age and body. We all love watching movies at night or playing games. Or sometimes we have to study for exams at night. Due to the modern digital lifestyle, we often compromise on our sleep.
Many teenagers and young adults are facing insomnia- a state where you can’t sleep at night. Actually, the quality of sleep matters more than the number of hours you sleep. So, here are some tips that will help you increase the quality of sleep:
1. Stay away from screens for at least one hour before sleep time. You can utilize this time to enjoy yourself with family, read a book, journal, or pray.
2. Late-night dinners disturb the sleep cycle. So, dinner should be done 2-3 hours before sleeping. Also, avoid caffeine and heavy food at night.
3. Deep breathing for 5 minutes can make you calm and induce sleep. You can just close your eyes and focus on your breath to relax your mind.
4. Make sure you do some physical exercise during the day. Physical movement during the day will make you sleep earlier.
5. Try to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. This way body forms a circadian rhythm and gets habituated to sleep or wake up at a fixed time automatically. You can download the infographic from the link in the description.
And, If you want to know in more detail about this topic you can buy and read this book “Why we sleep” by Matthew Walker by following the link in the description. Hope you get sound sleep by following the tips shared.
more: