How much sleep do 20-year-olds need according to CDC guidelines. What are the recommended sleep durations for different age groups. How can you determine your individual sleep needs. How were these sleep recommendations created.

Understanding Sleep Requirements for Young Adults

Sleep plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health and well-being at any age. For young adults, particularly those around 20 years old, getting the right amount of sleep is essential for optimal functioning and development. But how much sleep do they really need?

According to the National Sleep Foundation guidelines, which are based on extensive scientific research, healthy young adults aged 18-25 require between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. This range allows for individual variations in sleep needs while providing a general benchmark for optimal sleep duration.

Factors Influencing Sleep Needs in Young Adults

While the recommended range serves as a useful guideline, several factors can influence an individual’s sleep requirements:

• Activity level and physical exertion
• Overall health and existing medical conditions
• Stress levels and mental health
• Academic or work demands
• Lifestyle habits and sleep patterns

It’s important for young adults to assess their personal circumstances and adjust their sleep duration accordingly within the recommended range.

Sleep Recommendations Across Different Age Groups

The National Sleep Foundation provides sleep duration recommendations for various age groups, recognizing that sleep needs change throughout the lifespan. Here’s a breakdown of the recommended sleep durations:

These guidelines provide a range of hours for each age group, acknowledging that individual sleep needs may vary within these ranges.

Determining Your Personal Sleep Requirements

While the recommended range for young adults is 7-9 hours, it’s essential to determine your individual sleep needs. Here are some questions to consider when assessing your optimal sleep duration:

1. Do you feel productive, healthy, and happy on your current sleep schedule?
2. Do you require caffeine or other stimulants to get through the day?
3. Do you experience daytime sleepiness or difficulty concentrating?
4. How does your sleep duration affect your physical and mental performance?
5. Do you sleep more on days when you have an open schedule?

By reflecting on these questions and monitoring your sleep patterns, you can better understand your personal sleep requirements and make informed decisions about your sleep habits.

The Science Behind Sleep Recommendations

The sleep duration recommendations were developed through a rigorous scientific process. An expert panel consisting of 18 professionals from various fields of science and medicine was convened to review and analyze hundreds of validated research studies on sleep duration and its impact on key health outcomes.

The panel examined the relationships between sleep duration and various health factors, including:

• Cardiovascular disease risk
• Mental health and depression
• Pain management
• Diabetes and metabolic health
• Cognitive function and performance

Through multiple rounds of voting and discussion, the panel narrowed down the ranges for sleep duration across different age groups. This comprehensive process took over nine months to complete, ensuring that the recommendations are based on solid scientific evidence.

The Importance of Sleep Quality for Young Adults

While sleep duration is crucial, sleep quality is equally important for young adults. High-quality sleep ensures that the body and mind can fully benefit from the restorative processes that occur during sleep. Here are some factors that contribute to sleep quality:

• Sleep continuity (minimal disruptions during the night)
• Proper sleep architecture (cycling through different sleep stages)
• Timing of sleep (aligning with natural circadian rhythms)
• Absence of sleep disorders

Young adults should focus on both quantity and quality of sleep to optimize their overall well-being and cognitive performance.

Strategies for Improving Sleep Habits in Young Adults

For 20-year-olds and other young adults looking to improve their sleep habits, here are some effective strategies:

1. Maintain a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends
2. Create a relaxing bedtime routine to wind down before sleep
3. Optimize your sleep environment (cool, dark, and quiet)
4. Limit exposure to blue light from electronic devices before bedtime
5. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and heavy meals close to bedtime
6. Exercise regularly, but not too close to bedtime
7. Manage stress through relaxation techniques or meditation

By implementing these strategies, young adults can improve both the quantity and quality of their sleep, leading to better overall health and performance.

The Impact of Sleep on Young Adult Development and Performance

Adequate sleep is particularly crucial for young adults as they navigate important life transitions and challenges. Here’s how sleep affects various aspects of a 20-year-old’s life:

Cognitive Function and Academic Performance

Sufficient sleep is essential for optimal cognitive function, including memory consolidation, problem-solving skills, and creativity. For young adults in college or starting their careers, getting enough sleep can significantly impact their academic or professional performance.

Emotional Regulation and Mental Health

Sleep plays a vital role in emotional processing and regulation. Adequate sleep helps young adults manage stress, reduce the risk of mood disorders, and maintain overall emotional well-being.

Physical Health and Recovery

During sleep, the body undergoes essential processes for physical recovery and growth. This is particularly important for young adults who are physically active or involved in sports.

Decision-Making and Risk Assessment

Sleep deprivation can impair judgment and increase risk-taking behaviors. Adequate sleep helps young adults make better decisions and assess risks more accurately.

Common Sleep Challenges for Young Adults

Young adults often face unique sleep challenges due to their lifestyle and environmental factors. Here are some common issues:

• Irregular sleep schedules due to social activities or work commitments
• Increased use of electronic devices late at night
• Academic or work-related stress affecting sleep quality
• Consumption of caffeine or energy drinks to combat daytime sleepiness
• Sleep disruptions in shared living environments (dorms, apartments)

Recognizing these challenges is the first step in addressing them and developing healthier sleep habits.

Long-Term Health Implications of Sleep Patterns in Young Adulthood

The sleep habits established during young adulthood can have long-lasting effects on health and well-being. Research has shown that chronic sleep deprivation or poor sleep quality in early adulthood may increase the risk of various health issues later in life, including:

• Cardiovascular diseases
• Metabolic disorders, including obesity and type 2 diabetes
• Mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety
• Cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases
• Weakened immune function

By prioritizing healthy sleep habits in their 20s, young adults can set the foundation for better health outcomes in the future.

The Role of Technology in Young Adult Sleep Patterns

Technology plays a significant role in the lives of young adults, often impacting their sleep patterns. While it can be both beneficial and detrimental to sleep, it’s essential to understand its effects:

Negative Impacts of Technology on Sleep

• Blue light emission from screens can suppress melatonin production
• Engaging content can lead to delayed bedtimes
• Notifications and alerts can disrupt sleep
• Social media use before bed can increase anxiety and mental stimulation

Positive Uses of Technology for Sleep

• Sleep tracking apps can provide insights into sleep patterns
• Meditation and relaxation apps can aid in falling asleep
• Smart home devices can create optimal sleep environments
• Online resources for sleep education and tips

Young adults should strive to find a balance, leveraging technology to improve sleep while mitigating its potential negative effects.

Balancing Sleep with Other Priorities in Young Adulthood

One of the biggest challenges for young adults is balancing their sleep needs with other life priorities. Here are some strategies for maintaining healthy sleep habits while managing a busy lifestyle:

1. Prioritize sleep as a non-negotiable part of your daily schedule
2. Practice good time management to avoid late-night work or study sessions
3. Learn to say no to social events that may significantly disrupt your sleep schedule
4. Use power naps strategically to supplement nighttime sleep when necessary
5. Communicate the importance of your sleep needs to friends, family, and colleagues
6. Adjust your schedule to align with your natural circadian rhythms when possible

By viewing sleep as an essential component of overall health and success, young adults can make informed decisions about how to allocate their time and energy.

The Future of Sleep Research and Recommendations

As our understanding of sleep continues to evolve, so too will the recommendations for optimal sleep duration and quality. Current areas of sleep research that may influence future guidelines include:

• Personalized sleep recommendations based on genetic factors
• The role of sleep in mental health and cognitive disorders
• The impact of modern lifestyles and technology on sleep patterns
• The relationship between sleep and the gut microbiome
• Advanced sleep monitoring technologies for home use

Young adults should stay informed about the latest sleep research and be prepared to adjust their habits as new evidence emerges.

In conclusion, while the general recommendation for young adults is 7-9 hours of sleep per night, it’s crucial to recognize that individual needs may vary. By understanding the importance of sleep, assessing personal sleep requirements, and implementing healthy sleep habits, 20-year-olds can optimize their physical health, mental well-being, and overall performance. As research in sleep science continues to advance, young adults should remain adaptable and prioritize sleep as a fundamental aspect of their lifestyle.

How Much Sleep Do We Really Need?

Scientific research makes clear that sleep is essential at any age. Sleep powers the mind, restores the body, and fortifies virtually every system in the body. But how much sleep do we really need in order to get these benefits?

National Sleep Foundation guidelines advise that healthy adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Babies, young children, and teens need even more sleep to enable their growth and development. People over 65 should also get 7 to 8 hours per night.

Knowing the general recommendations for how much sleep you need is a first step. Then It’s important to reflect on your individual needs based on factors like your activity level and overall health. And finally, of course, it’s necessary to apply healthy sleep tips so that you can actually get the full night’s sleep that’s recommended.

How Much Sleep Is Recommended for Each Age Group?

The recommended sleep times are broken down into nine age groups.

Scroll L – R for more details

In each group, the guidelines present a recommended range of nightly sleep duration for healthy individuals. In some cases, sleeping an hour more or less than the general range may be acceptable based on a person’s circumstances.

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

These guidelines serve as a rule-of-thumb for how much sleep children and adults need while acknowledging that the ideal amount of sleep can vary from person to person.

For that reason, the guidelines list a range of hours for each age group. The recommendations also acknowledge that, for some people with unique circumstances, there’s some wiggle room on either side of the range for “acceptable,” though still not optimal, amount of sleep.

Deciding how much sleep you need means considering your overall health, daily activities, and typical sleep patterns. Some questions that you help assess your individual sleep needs include:

• Are you productive, healthy, and happy on seven hours of sleep? Or have you noticed that you require more hours of sleep to get into high gear?
• Do you have coexisting health issues? Are you at higher risk for any disease?
• Do you have a high level of daily energy expenditure? Do you frequently play sports or work in a labor-intensive job?
• Do your daily activities require alertness to do them safely? Do you drive every day and/or operate heavy machinery? Do you ever feel sleepy when doing these activities?
• Are you experiencing or do you have a history of sleeping problems?
• Do you depend on caffeine to get you through the day?
• When you have an open schedule, do you sleep more than you do on a typical workday?

Start with the above-mentioned recommendations and then use your answers to these questions to home in on your optimal amount of sleep.

How Were the Recommendations Created?

To create these recommended sleep times, an expert panel of 18 people was convened from different fields of science and medicine. The members of the panel reviewed hundreds of validated research studies about sleep duration and key health outcomes like cardiovascular disease, depression, pain, and diabetes.

After studying the evidence, the panel used several rounds of voting and discussion to narrow down the ranges for the amount of sleep needed at different ages. In total, this process took over nine months to complete.

Other organizations, such as the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and Sleep Research Society (SRS) have also published recommendations for the amount of sleep needed for adults and children. In general, these organizations closely coincide in their findings as do similar organizations in Canada.

Improve Your Sleep Today: Make Sleep a Priority

Once you have a nightly goal based on the hours of sleep that you need, it’s time to start planning for how to make that a reality.

Start by making sleep a priority in your schedule. This means budgeting for the hours you need so that work or social activities don’t trade off with sleep. While cutting sleep short may be tempting in the moment, it doesn’t pay off because sleep is essential to being at your best both mentally and physically.

Improving your sleep hygiene, which includes your bedroom setting and sleep-related habits, is an established way to get better rest. Examples of sleep hygiene improvements include:

If you’re a parent, many of the same tips apply to help children and teens get the recommended amount of sleep that they need for kids their age. Pointers for parents can help with teens, specifically, who face a number of unique sleep challenges.

Getting more sleep is a key part of the equation, but remember that it’s not just about sleep quantity. Quality sleep matters, too, and it’s possible to get the hours that you need but not

feel refreshed because your sleep is fragmented or non-restorative. Fortunately, improving sleep hygiene often boosts both the quantity and quality of your sleep.

If you or a family member are experiencing symptoms such as significant sleepiness during the day, chronic snoring, leg cramps or tingling, difficulty breathing during sleep, chronic insomnia, or another symptom that is preventing you from sleeping well, you should consult your primary care doctor or find a sleep professional to determine the underlying cause.

You can try using our Sleep Diary or Sleep Log to track your sleep habits. This can provide insight about your sleep patterns and needs. It can also be helpful to bring with you to the doctor if you have ongoing sleep problems.

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How to Sleep Better – Sleep Foundation

It’s well-established that sleep is essential to our physical and mental health. But despite its importance, a troubling percentage of people find themselves regularly deprived of quality sleep and are notably sleepy during the day.

Though there’s a wide range of causes and types of sleeping problems, expert consensus points to a handful of concrete steps that promote more restful sleep. Organizations like the CDC, the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute on Aging, and the American Academy of Family Physicians point to the same fundamental tips for getting better rest.

For many people, trying to implement all these strategies can be overwhelming. But remember that it’s not all-or-nothing; you can start with small changes and work your way up toward healthier sleep habits, also known as sleep hygiene.

To make these sleep hygiene improvements more approachable, we’ve broken them into four categories:

• Creating a Sleep-Inducing Bedroom
• Optimizing Your Sleep Schedule
• Crafting a Pre-Bed time Routine
• Fostering Pro-Sleep Habits During the Day

In each category, you can find specific actions that you can take to make it easier to fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up well-rested.

Creating a Sleep-Inducing Bedroom

An essential tip to help fall asleep quickly and easily is to make your bedroom a place of comfort and relaxation. Though this might seem obvious, it’s often overlooked, contributing to difficulties getting to sleep and sleeping through the night.

In designing your sleep environment, focus maximizing comfort and minimizing distractions, including with these tips:

• Use a High-Performance Mattress and Pillow: A quality mattress is vital to making sure that you are comfortable enough to relax. It also ensures, along with your pillow, that your spine gets proper support to avoid aches and pains.
• Choose Quality Bedding: Your sheets and blankets play a major role in helping your bed feel inviting. Look for bedding that feels comfortable to the touch and that will help maintain a comfortable temperature during the night.
• Avoid Light Disruption: Excess light exposure can throw off your sleep and circadian rhythm. Blackout curtains over your windows or a sleep mask for over your eyes can block light and prevent it from interfering with your rest.
• Cultivate Peace and Quiet: Keeping noise to a minimum is an important part of building a sleep-positive bedroom. If you can’t eliminate nearby sources of noise, consider drowning them out with a fan or white noise machine. Earplugs or headphones are another option to stop abrasive sounds from bothering you when you want to sleep.
• Find an Agreeable Temperature: You don’t want your bedroom temperature to be a distraction by feeling too hot or too cold. The ideal temperature can vary based on the individual, but most research supports sleeping in a cooler room that is around 65 degrees.
• Introduce Pleasant Aromas: A light scent that you find calming can help ease you into sleep. Essential oils with natural aromas, such as lavender, can provide a soothing and fresh smell for your bedroom.

Optimizing Your Sleep Schedule

Taking control of your daily sleep schedule is a powerful step toward getting better sleep. To start harnessing your schedule for your benefit, try implementing these four strategies:

• Set a Fixed Wake-Up Time: It’s close to impossible for your body to get accustomed to a healthy sleep routine if you’re constantly waking up at different times. Pick a wake-up time and stick with it, even on weekends or other days when you would otherwise be tempted to sleep in.
• Budget Time for Sleep: If you want to make sure that you’re getting the recommended amount of sleep each night, then you need to build that time into your schedule. Considering your fixed wake-up time, work backwards and identify a target bedtime. Whenever possible, give yourself extra time before bed to wind down and get ready for sleep.

• Be Careful With Naps: To sleep better at night, it’s important to use caution with naps. If you nap for too long or too late in the day, it can throw off your sleep schedule and make it harder to get to sleep when you want to. The best time to nap is shortly after lunch in the early afternoon, and the best nap length is around 20 minutes.
• Adjust Your Schedule Gradually: When you need to change your sleep schedule, it’s best to make adjustments little-by-little and over time with a maximum difference of 1-2 hours per night. This allows your body to get used to the changes so that following your new schedule is more sustainable.

Crafting a Pre-Bed Routine

If you have a hard time falling asleep, it’s natural to think that the problem starts when you lie down in bed. In reality, though, the lead-up to bedtime plays a crucial role in preparing you to fall asleep quickly and effortlessly.

Poor pre-bed habits are a major contributor to insomnia and other sleep problems. Changing these habits can take time, but the effort can pay off by making you more relaxed and ready to fall asleep when bedtime rolls around.

As much as possible, try to create a consistent routine that you follow each night because this helps reinforce healthy habits and signals to mind and body that bedtime is approaching. As part of that routine, incorporate these three tips:

• Wind Down For At Least 30 Minutes: It’s much easier to doze off smoothly if you are at-ease. Quiet reading, low-impact stretching, listening to soothing music, and relaxation exercises are examples of ways to get into the right frame of mind for sleep.
• Lower the Lights: Avoiding bright light can help you transition to bedtime and contribute to your body’s production of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep.
• Disconnect From Devices: Tablets, cell phones, and laptops can keep your brain wired, making it hard to truly wind down. The light from these devices can also suppress your natural production of melatonin. As much as possible, try to disconnect for 30 minutes or more before going to bed.

Fostering Pro-Sleep Habits During the Day

Setting the table for high-quality sleep is an all-day affair. A handful of steps that you can take during the day can pave the way for better sleep at night.

• See the Light of Day: Our internal clocks are regulated by light exposure. Sunlight has the strongest effect, so try to take in daylight by getting outside or opening up windows or blinds to natural light. Getting a dose of daylight early in the day can help normalize your circadian rhythm. If natural light isn’t an option, you can talk with your doctor about using a light therapy box.
• Find Time to Move: Daily exercise has across-the-board benefits for health, and the changes it initiates in energy use and body temperature can promote solid sleep. Most experts advise against intense exercise close to bedtime because it may hinder your body’s ability to effectively settle down before sleep.
• Monitor Your Caffeine Intake: Caffeinated drinks, including coffee, tea, and sodas, are among the most popular beverages in the world. Some people are tempted to use the jolt of energy from caffeine to try to overcome daytime sleepiness, but that approach isn’t sustainable and can cause long-term sleep deprivation. To avoid this, keep an eye on your caffeine intake and avoid it later in the day when it can be a barrier to falling sleep.
• Be Mindful of Alcohol: Alcohol can induce drowsiness, so some people are keen on a nightcap before bed. Unfortunately, alcohol affects the brain in ways that can lower sleep quality, and for that reason, it’s best to avoid alcohol in the lead-up to bedtime.
• Don’t Eat Too Late: It can be harder to fall asleep if your body is still digesting a big dinner. To keep food-based sleep disruptions to a minimum, try to avoid late dinners and minimize especially fatty or spicy foods. If you need an evening snack, opt for something light and healthy.
• Don’t Smoke: Exposure to smoke, including secondhand smoke, has been associated with a range of sleeping problems including difficulty falling asleep and fragmented sleep.
• Reserve Your Bed for Sleep and Sex Only: If you have a comfortable bed, you may be tempted to hang out there while doing all kinds of activities, but this can actually cause problems at bedtime. You want a strong mental association between your bed and sleep, so try to keep activities in your bed limited strictly to sleep and sex.

If You Can’t Fall Asleep

Whether it’s when you first get into bed or after waking up in the middle of the night, you may find it hard to drift off to sleep. These tips help explain what to do when you can’t sleep:

• Try Relaxation Techniques: Don’t focus on trying to fall asleep; instead, focus on just trying to relax. Controlled breathing, mindfulness meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided imagery are examples of relaxation methods that can help ease you into sleep.
• Don’t Stew in Bed: You want to avoid a connection in your mind between your bed and frustration from sleeplessness. This means that if you’ve spent around 20 minutes in bed without being able to fall asleep, get out of bed and do something relaxing in low light. Avoid checking the time during this time. Try to get your mind off of sleep for at least a few minutes before returning to bed.
• Experiment WIth Different Methods: Sleeping problems can be complex and what works for one person may not work for someone else. As a result, it makes sense to try different approaches to see what works for you. Just remember that it can take some time for new methods to take effect, so give your changes time to kick in before assuming that they aren’t working for you.
• Keep a Sleep Diary: A daily sleep journal can help you keep track of how well you’re sleeping and identify factors that might be helping or hurting your sleep. If you’re testing out a new sleep schedule or other sleep hygiene changes, the sleep diary can help document how well it’s working.
• Talk With a Doctor: A doctor is in the best position to offer detailed advice for people with serious difficulties sleeping. Talk with your doctor if you find that your sleep problems are worsening, persisting over the long-term, affecting your health and safety (such as from excessive daytime sleepiness), or if they occur alongside other unexplained health problems.

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Sleep Diary: How and Why You Should Keep One

Insufficient or interrupted sleep can have serious health consequences, but sleep problems aren’t always easy to identify. For that reason, a sleep diary is a valuable tool for tracking sleep, monitoring sleep habits, and documenting sleeping problems. Both patients and doctors find information in patient-kept sleep diaries useful.

Download our Sleep Diary

Download our Sleep Log

For the best experience, Sleep Foundation recommends using Adobe Acrobat Reader DC.

What Is a Sleep Diary?

A sleep diary is a daily record of important sleep-related information. Although not all sleep diaries are identical, they commonly include details about:

• Bedtime and/or lights-out time
• Wake-up time
• How long it takes to fall asleep
• The number and duration of sleep interruptions
• The number and duration of daytime naps
• Perceived sleep quality
• Consumption of alcohol, caffeine, and/or tobacco
• Daily medications
• Daily exercise

Sleep diaries are also called sleep journals or sleep logs. These terms are typically used interchangeably, although some consider a sleep diary to be more detailed than a sleep log. Regardless of the name, all of these are patient-recorded methods of tracking information about sleep.

Why Use a Sleep Diary?

A sleep diary is an important tool for evaluating a person’s sleep. Doctors often request a sleep diary, but some people may use one on their own accord.

By keeping a record of sleep, the diary makes it possible to calculate total sleep time. A sleep record also helps people identify sleep disruptions and other factors that can influence sleep quality.

Identifying details about habits that affect sleep can show patterns that help explain sleeping problems. For healthcare providers, the concrete entries in a sleep diary are often more reliable and usable than a general recollection about sleep habits.

Another way that a sleep diary is used is in preparation for certain specialized sleep studies. A sleep diary can enhance the validity of sleep tests by showing that a person’s sleep is stable in the lead-up to the study.

How Do You Use a Sleep Diary?

To keep the most accurate sleep diary, fill it out carefully every day. Many sleep diaries contain one short section to complete in the morning and another in the evening.

Staying current and updating your diary as you go helps avoid any gaps in your memory. For that reason, you want to keep your sleep diary and a pen in an easily accessible place where you’ll be reminded to fill it out every day.

If you’re filling out a sleep diary on doctor’s orders, make sure to use the form they provide and follow any accompanying instructions.

Doctors usually advise patients to keep a sleep diary for at least one week. You may need to update your diary for two weeks or more, though, depending on how it’s being used.

If you’ve decided to start a sleep diary on your own, you can decide for yourself how long to keep recording your sleep information and how often to review it.

Sleep Environment Checklist

Our sleep routines wouldn’t be complete without the ideal sleep environment. In the era of working from home, it’s more important than ever to have a designated space for rest and personal time.

There is a lot of different factors that play into the design of an ideal bedroom, and the following are some key ways to ensure the best night’s sleep possible:

• Keep the temperature of your room between 60-70° Fahrenheit
• If you live in a noisy area, use earplugs or other noise cancelling devices to ensure your sleep is quiet and peaceful
• Blackout curtains or a sleep mask can help keep your room dark during the early hours of the morning, or during the day if you are a shift worker
• Make a habit of cleaning your sheets and blankets on a regular basis, and ensure that your bed has been made before going to sleep
• Use a diffuser or incense to create a soothing aroma in your room, like lavender or lemon

Download our Bedroom Environment Checklist

Conducting a Sleep Hygiene Check-in With Your Sleep Diary

If you’re keeping a sleep diary as a personal initiative, you can use it to benefit your health by conducting a check-in.

As you review your sleep diary, a handful of questions can help you evaluate your sleep:

• Am I budgeting enough time for sleep?
• Is my sleep schedule consistent or full of fluctuations?
• Am I spending significant time lying in bed without being able to fall asleep?
• Is my sleep disrupted in the night? If so, is there any pattern in the diary that might explain why?
• Is my sleep satisfying? Do I feel drowsy during the day?
• Am I taking naps that are too long or too late in the day that could be affecting my nighttime sleep?
• Is my use of alcohol, caffeine, and/or medications affecting my sleep time or sleep quality?

As you go through these questions, you can identify opportunities to apply practical tips to boost your sleep hygiene and contribute to your overall wellness.

Routines For Morning And Night

When it comes to sleep routines, it’s easy to focus solely on what happens in the evenings. However, how we start our days is just as important. The morning is how we introduce ourselves to each day, so getting off to a good start is a routine that takes consistency.

In the evenings, there are several routines that are often suggested, such as avoiding electronics 30-60 minutes before bed and avoiding heavy food and liquids as you’re nearing bedtime. Here are some tips for continuing those strong habits in the morning:

• Even on weekends, wake up around the same time as you do during the week
• Give your body two full hours to wake up, as opposed to rushing out of bed into your daily obligations
• Get outside for some vitamin D and daylight exposure as often as you can during the day
• Skip the late afternoon coffee and cut off your caffeine intake by 2pm each day
• If you can help it, avoid naps during the day. If you really need one, keep it to 30 minutes as early in the afternoon as possible

Download our Sleep Wake Checklist

When Should You See a Doctor About Sleep?

If you are keeping a sleep diary and notice that you aren’t getting sufficient sleep, talk with your doctor. Your doctor can review your sleep diary with you and determine whether or not any tests are necessary to diagnose and address your sleeping problems.

Regardless of if you’ve started a sleep diary, talk with a doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Significant difficulty either falling asleep or staying asleep through the night
• Impaired thinking, attention, mood, or physical performance during the day
• Excessive daytime sleepiness, especially if it feels like there are moments when you can’t resist dozing off
• Very loud snoring and/or snoring that involves choking or gasping sounds

How Does a Sleep Diary Compare With Other Methods of Tracking Sleep?

Although sleep diaries are frequently used by healthcare providers, they aren’t the only method of tracking sleep. Other methods include:

• Actigraphy uses a special device worn on the wrist to monitor movement, including sleep. Actigraphy is often recommended when doctors are trying to identify a sleep problem because it offers more objective data than a sleep diary. That said, results from sleep logs and actigraphy are often similar, and sleep diaries are simpler and less expensive. In many situations, doctors may request that patients use both at the same time to get a subjective and objective assessment of sleep.
• Sleep questionnaires involve subjective evaluations of sleep without the detailed recordings made in a sleep diary. Though potentially useful, sleep questionnaires are typically less precise than a sleep log.
• Sleep studies, such as a polysomnography conducted in a specialized lab, are necessary for the formal diagnosis of some sleep disorders. Because of the detail it provides, a polysomnography is the gold standard for identifying many sleep disorders, but it is expensive and requires spending at least one night in a sleep clinic.
• Wearable activity trackers, mobile phones, and other types of consumer sleep trackers can offer data about your sleep. Many of these use the same technology as actigraphy to calculate your daily movement and sleep time. Although these devices can be useful for conducting sleep hygiene check-ins, most have not been rigorously tested to ensure their accuracy.

Because of its simplicity, low-cost, and broad insight into sleeping habits, the sleep diary remains an important part of recording and measuring sleep that may be used at a doctor’s request or on one’s own.

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Relaxation Exercises to Help Fall Asleep| Sleep Foundation

Having trouble falling asleep is a common experience. In fact, research suggests that almost a third of adults experience chronic insomnia, a sleep disorder characterized by persistent difficulties in falling or staying asleep. However, for those of us without insomnia, tossing and turning in bed after a stressful day can be a familiar experience.

Stress and anxiety are often to blame for sleep issues. During periods of tension, the body activates its natural stress response, beginning with a cascade of hormones that make us feel more alert and trigger additional physiological changes. Our breathing becomes more quick and shallow, our heart rate and blood pressure increases, and our digestion slows.

When our body’s stress response is activated, it can be immensely challenging to fall and stay asleep. Fortunately, research has shown that there is a way we can turn off the stress response. By activating another natural process, called the relaxation response, we can calm the mind, relax the body, and help ourselves drift off to sleep naturally.

Relaxation Exercises To Help Fall Asleep

There are countless ways to activate our body’s relaxation response, but the goal is always the same. These exercises lower one’s heart rate and blood pressure, slow and deepen breathing, and create an increased sense of well-being. Research has shown that these changes help us fall asleep, demonstrating that relaxation techniques can help reduce the symptoms.

Tips for Trying Relaxation Exercises

Before you try relaxation exercises to help you fall asleep, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind.

• While these exercises can be helpful tools on their own, they may be more effective when combined with other improvements to your sleep hygiene, such as maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and cultivating daytime habits that promote sleep.
• Just like learning any new skill, relaxation exercises take practice. Repetitive and ongoing use of relaxation exercises is usually more effective than one-time or short-term use.
• While it’s tempting to look for the best and most effective relaxation techniques, what’s most important is to find what works for you. That may take some experimenting, so if one exercise doesn’t work, just try another.

While these exercises are safe for most people, others may benefit from talking to their doctors before trying these techniques. This is particularly important for those with epilepsy, psychiatric conditions, or a history of trauma.

Breathing Exercises

Taking slow, deep breaths is one of the easiest and most basic ways to engage your body’s natural relaxation response. If you find yourself lying awake in bed, start by taking 10 deep breaths. This alone can begin to slow the breath and create a sense of calm. If you’re looking for other breathing exercises, here are a few to try.

Diaphragmatic Breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing (also called belly breathing) engages the large muscle at the base of the lungs. Not only can this exercise reduce stress and increase relaxation, it can also strengthen the diaphragm and increase the efficiency of our breathing. Here’s how to try diaphragmatic breathing:

1. While lying down, place one hand on your upper chest and the other hand at the top of your belly, right below your rib cage. Your hands will help to make sure that you’re only breathing through your belly during this exercise.
2. Breathe in through the nose so your belly pushes against your hand. Your other hand and your chest should remain as still as possible.
3. While continuing to keep your chest still, tighten your stomach muscles and exhale through pursed lips (the way you might hold your lips when you whistle).
4. Repeat this process.

Because many of us aren’t used to engaging our diaphragm when we breathe, this exercise may take some practice. Try starting with just a few minutes of diaphragmatic breathing when you get into bed, then gradually increase the time to maximise benefits.

4-7-8 Breathing

This slightly more advanced breathing technique helps control the speed of your breath. This may not be the best option if you’re uncomfortable holding your breath, but it’s generally considered safe and easy. Here’s how it works:

1. Place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth, right behind your front teeth (you’ll keep it here for the entire exercise).
2. Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.
3. Hold your breath for a count of 7 seconds.
4. Exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds, allowing your exhale to make a natural sound like you’re blowing out a candle.

Just like other breathing exercises, start with practicing this technique for a few minutes before bed. As you get used to the pace, feel free to increase the time you spend practicing 4-7-8 breathing.

Visualization Exercises

Another way to engage the body’s natural relaxation response is to use visualization exercises. These techniques rely on using mental images to create a sense of well-being in the body, which can reduce stress and help you fall asleep.

Body Scan

Body scans are a type of meditation that feature a slow, focused attention to different parts of the body. Once you’re lying comfortably in bed, try these steps for a relaxing body scan:

1. Start by taking a few deep breaths, perhaps trying diaphragmatic or 4-7-8 breathing, to get your body into a relaxed state.
2. Bring your attention to your feet, noticing any sensations in your toes and if you’re holding any tension in this part of the body.
3. If you notice discomfort here, acknowledge it and try to let go of any thoughts of stories you have. Visualize the tension leaving the body through the breath.
4. When you’re ready, move your focus to your calf muscles, repeating the process of noticing sensations, letting go of thoughts or stories, and visualizing the tension leaving through your breath.
5. Methodically move your attention to each part of your body, one-by one, moving from your feet to your forehead until you’ve scanned your entire body.

Autogenic Training

Autogenic Training takes you through the same steps as the body scan, but adds in self-statements about heaviness and warmth in each part of the body. The idea is that, with practice, you can begin to calm different parts of your body at any time. Here’s how it goes:

1. Start with a few minutes of breathing exercises to get into a relaxed state.
2. Next, bring your attention to your feet, then slowly repeat to yourself six times, “my feet are very heavy, I am completely calm.”
3. Focus again on your feet, then slowly repeat 6 more times, “my feet are very warm, I am completely calm.”
4. Repeat this process as you move your attention to each part of your body, from your feet to your head, repeating each phrase about heaviness and warmth.

If you find it too distracting to remember each phrase or count how many times you’ve said them, you can record yourself going through the process and play it back at bedtime. You can also find audio and video records online, if you’d prefer to have someone else walk you through autogenic training.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation is based on the idea that it’s hard to be tense when your muscles are relaxed. This exercise is performed by methodically tensing and relaxing 16 different muscle groups, one by one.

First, write down all of the muscle groups or make an audio recording of yourself saying each one, giving about 45 seconds in between each group to allow yourself enough time to get through the process. The muscle groups are: hands, wrists and forearms, biceps, shoulders, forehead, around the eyes and nose, cheeks and jaw, around the mouth, back of the neck, front of the neck, chest, back, stomach, hips and buttocks, thighs, and lower legs.

Once you’re ready, lie down in bed and try the technique:

1. Breathe in and tense the first group of muscles for 5-10 seconds.
2. Breathe out and quickly relax the muscles in that group.
3. Stay relaxed for 10-20 seconds before moving to the next muscle group.

Repeat this process until you’ve gone through all 16 muscle groups. Once you’ve finished, focus on keeping all of the muscle groups relaxed as you drift off to sleep.

Self-Hypnosis

Self-hypnosis is similar to progressive muscle relaxation, with the added step of focusing on a specific thought once you’re fully relaxed. The idea is that progressive muscle relaxation puts your body in a hypnotic state, meaning you’re relaxed and more open to suggestion.

It can be helpful to decide on the suggestion you’ll use before starting this technique. Some people focus on a simple word, like “relax” or “let go”, while others may repeat a phrase like, “I’m relaxed and calm”. You can also record yourself saying these phrases and simply listen to them while you’re working through progressive muscle relaxation. There are also tapes and videos online with pre-recorded phrases for falling asleep.

Once you’ve decided on your suggestion or phrase, here’s how to begin:

1. Get yourself comfortable and lie in bed.
2. Move into a hypnotic state with a short period of progressive muscle relaxation, tensing and relaxing different muscles in the body.
3. Once fully relaxed, slowly repeat your preferred phrase.

Once you’ve mastered self-hypnosis, try adding in other senses to your thought suggestion. Imagine yourself in a safe place and focus on relaxing sights, smells, and physical sensations around you. One common scenario is imagining yourself in a field of flowers, smelling lavender and feeling the warm sun on your skin.

Biofeedback

Biofeedback is a bit more involved than other relaxation exercises because it relies on technology. This technique uses electronic devices to help users monitor processes within the body that are normally unconscious, like brain waves, heart rate, breathing, and body temperature. The idea behind this mind-body technique is that, by monitoring these body processes users can begin to exert some control over them.

If you’re interested in trying biofeedback, you can talk to your doctor or a sleep specialist about tools they may have available. For a simpler start, you could also try using a wearable device, like a smart watch, chest strap, or fitness tracker.

Check the device at different times of day to learn about what affects your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. Once you have a grasp on what affects these processes, start to experiment with what you can do to influence them. Develop your own strategies for lowering your blood pressure and heart rate, slowing your breathing, and increasing your overall sense of well-being.

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How Much Sleep Do You Need?

Although most men and women need about 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night, their sleep patterns are generally different. Women often sleep more than men, and they experience a lighter sleep that is more easily disrupted. Many women also have undiagnosed sleep disorders.

Problems that can disrupt women’s sleep include depression, major life events (such as divorce), pregnancy, hormonal changes related to menopause, sleep disorders — including obstructive sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome — and medical problems like arthritis, back pain, and fibromyalgia.

Both women and men often lose sleep over job-related stress, according to research. (2)

Additional stressors that cause men to lose sleep include life issues regarding marriage or divorce, children, employment, and money. Other causes include sleep disorders, substance abuse, depression, and medical problems like epilepsy and heart disease. Men are also more inclined than women to take sleep for granted and stay up longer than they should.

Snoring is another factor that may prevent you from getting the z’s you need. Nearly 90 million of us snore to some degree at night, according to the NSF, and the reasons behind it may also be related to gender. (3) Men often have air passages that are narrower than women’s, which results in more night noise as the breath is forced through a smaller opening.

Men also tend to drink more alcohol and may imbibe to excess more often than their female counterparts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (4) Because alcohol can relax the muscles in the airway and throat, more snoring — and less sleep for bedmates — are frequent results.

Both women and men can improve their nighttime rest quality by adopting a few sleep best practices. These include adhering to the same wake and sleep schedule every day, powering down electronics at least an hour before bed, keeping the room you snooze in on the cool side (between 60 and 67 degrees is ideal, according to the NSF, (5) and sticking to a relaxing routine before bed, such as a warm bath, having a light snack, and reading quietly before tucking in.

If you believe you need professional advice about your lack of sleep, it’s a good idea to maintain a sleep diary for about a week. This will help your doctor get an accurate picture of your sleep history. Your doctor might recommend a device to keep your air passageways open, or a weight loss plan, based on your individual symptoms and needs.

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

sleep

What are your nightly sleep needs? What does sleep do for your health? By understanding your body’s needs, you can improve your sleep schedule and the quality of your waking life.

The importance of sleep

The quality of your sleep at night directly affects your mental and physical health and how well you feel during the day. Sleep impacts your productivity, emotional balance, brain and heart health, immune function, creativity, vitality, and even your weight. No other activity delivers so many benefits with so little effort!

When you’re scrambling to meet the demands of a busy schedule, though, or just finding it hard to sleep at night, getting by on less hours may seem like a good solution. But even minimal sleep loss can take a substantial toll on your mood, energy, mental sharpness, and ability to handle stress. And over the long-term, chronic sleep loss can wreak havoc on your mental and physical health.

Sleep isn’t merely a time when your body shuts off. While you rest, your brain stays busy, overseeing biological maintenance that keeps your body running in top condition, preparing you for the day ahead. Without enough hours of restorative sleep, you won’t be able to work, learn, create, and communicate at a level even close to your true potential. Regularly skimp on “service” and you’re headed for a major mental and physical breakdown.

The good news is that you don’t have to choose between health and productivity. By addressing any sleep problems and making time to get the sleep you need each night, your energy, efficiency, and overall health will go up. In fact, you’ll likely get much more done during the day than if you were skimping on shuteye and trying to work longer.

Sleep needs

There is a big difference between the amount of sleep you can get by on and the amount you need to function optimally. According to the National Institutes of Health, the average adult sleeps less than seven hours per night. In today’s fast-paced society, six or seven hours of sleep may sound pretty good. In reality, though, it’s a recipe for chronic sleep deprivation.

Just because you’re able to operate on six or seven hours of sleep doesn’t mean you wouldn’t feel a lot better and get more done if you spent an extra hour or two in bed.

While sleep requirements vary slightly from person to person, most healthy adults need seven to nine hours of sleep per night to function at their best. Children and teens need even more. And despite the notion that our sleep needs decrease with age, most older people still need at least seven hours of sleep. Since older adults often have trouble sleeping this long at night, daytime naps can help fill in the gap.

The best way to figure out if you’re meeting your sleep needs is to evaluate how you feel as you go about your day. If you’re logging enough sleep hours, you’ll feel energetic and alert all day long, from the moment you wake up until your regular bedtime.

Think six hours of sleep is enough?

Think again. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, discovered that some people have a gene that enables them to function well on six hours of sleep a night. This gene, however, is very rare, appearing in less than 3% of the population. For the other 97% of us, six hours doesn’t come close to cutting it.

The importance of deep sleep and REM sleep

It’s not just the number of hours you spend asleep that’s important—it’s the quality of those hours. If you give yourself plenty of time for sleep but still have trouble waking up in the morning or staying alert all day, you may not be spending enough time in the different stages of sleep.

[Read: The Science of Sleep: Stages and Cycles]

Each stage of sleep in your sleep cycle offers different benefits. However, deep sleep (the time when the body repairs itself and builds up energy for the day ahead) and mind and mood-boosting REM sleep are particularly important. You can ensure you get more deep sleep by avoiding alcohol, nicotine, and being woken during the night by noise or light. While improving your overall sleep will increase REM sleep, you can also try sleeping an extra 30 minutes to an hour in the morning, when REM sleep stages are longer.

Signs that you’re not getting enough sleep

If you’re getting less than eight hours of sleep each night, chances are you’re sleep deprived. What’s more, you probably have no idea just how much lack of sleep is affecting you.

How is it possible to be sleep deprived without knowing it? Most of the signs of sleep deprivation are much more subtle than falling face first into your dinner plate.

[Read: Sleep Deprivation: Symptoms, Causes, and Effects]

Furthermore, if you’ve made a habit of skimping on sleep, you may not even remember what it feels like to be truly wide-awake, fully alert, and firing on all cylinders. Maybe it feels normal to get sleepy when you’re in a boring meeting, struggling through the afternoon slump, or dozing off after dinner, but the truth is that it’s only “normal” if you’re sleep deprived.

You may be sleep deprived if you…

• Need an alarm clock in order to wake up on time.
• Rely on the snooze button.
• Have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning.
• Feel sluggish in the afternoon.
• Get sleepy in meetings, lectures, or warm rooms.
• Get drowsy after heavy meals or when driving.
• Need to nap to get through the day.
• Fall asleep while watching TV or relaxing in the evening.
• Feel the need to sleep in on weekends.
• Fall asleep within five minutes of going to bed.

How to get the sleep that you need

Whether you’re looking to resolve a specific sleep problem, or just want to feel more productive, mentally sharp, and emotionally balanced during the day, experiment with the following sleep tips to see which work best for you:

Rule out medical causes for your sleep problems. A sleep disturbance may be a symptom of a physical or mental health issue, or a side-effect of certain medications.

Stick to a regular sleep schedule. Support your biological clock by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, including weekends.

[Read: How to Sleep Better]

Get regular exercise. Regular exercise can improve the symptoms of many sleep disorders and problems. Aim for 30 minutes or more of activity on most days—but not too close to bedtime.

Be smart about what you eat and drink. Caffeine, alcohol, and sugary foods can all disrupt your sleep, as can eating heavy meals or drinking lots of fluids too close to bedtime.

Get help with stress management. If the stress of managing work, family, or school is keeping you awake at night, learning how to handle stress in a productive way can help you sleep better at night.

Improve your sleep environment. Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool, and reserve your bed for just sleeping and sex.

Develop a relaxing bedtime routine. Avoid screens, work, and stressful conversations late at night. Instead, wind down and calm your mind by taking a warm bath, reading by a dim light, or practicing a relaxation technique to prepare for sleep.

Postpone worrying. If you wake during the night feeling anxious about something, make a brief note of it on paper and postpone worrying about it until the next day when it will be easier to resolve.

Authors: Melinda Smith, M.A., Lawrence Robinson, and Robert Segal, M.A.

How many hours of sleep are enough?

How many hours of sleep are enough for good health?

Answer From Eric J. Olson, M.D.

The amount of sleep you need depends on various factors — especially your age. While sleep needs vary significantly among individuals, consider these general guidelines for different age groups:

In addition to age, other factors can affect how many hours of sleep you need. For example:

• Sleep quality. If your sleep is frequently interrupted, you’re not getting quality sleep. The quality of your sleep is just as important as the quantity.
• Previous sleep deprivation. If you’re sleep deprived, the amount of sleep you need increases.
• Pregnancy. Changes in hormone levels and physical discomfort can result in poor sleep quality.
• Aging. Older adults need about the same amount of sleep as younger adults. As you get older, however, your sleeping patterns might change. Older adults tend to sleep more lightly, take longer to start sleeping and sleep for shorter time spans than do younger adults. Older adults also tend to wake up multiple times during the night.

For kids, getting the recommended amount of sleep on a regular basis is linked with better health, including improved attention, behavior, learning, memory, the ability to control emotions, quality of life, and mental and physical health.

For adults, getting less than seven hours of sleep a night on a regular basis has been linked with poor health, including weight gain, having a body mass index of 30 or higher, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and depression.

If you’re concerned about the amount of sleep you or your child is getting, talk to your doctor or your child’s doctor.

• Sleep and weight gain: What’s the connection?
• Split fingernails

May 15, 2021

Show references

1. Brain basics: Understanding sleep. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Understanding-Sleep. Accessed March 31, 2021.
2. Paruthi S, et al. Recommended amount of sleep for pediatric populations: A consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2016; doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.5866.
3. Landon MB, et al., eds. Maternal physiology. In: Gabbe’s Obstetrics: Normal and Problem Pregnancies. 8th ed. Elsevier; 2021. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed March 31, 2021.
4. Cirelli C. Insufficient sleep: Definition, epidemiology, and adverse outcomes. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed March 31, 2021.
5. Kryger MH, et al., eds. Normal sleep. In: Atlas of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2nd ed. Saunders Elsevier; 2014. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed March 31, 2021.
6. Watson NF, et al. Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: A joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. 2015; doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.4758.

See more Expert Answers

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90,000 How much sleep do people of different ages need

We’ll sleep off in the next world!

People’s Hope

And really, why spend about a third of your life on sleep, if the “lost” time can be used for good purposes? For example, declare on the grid: “Go! I have created! “. Or read the synopsis. In the first case, we play and relax the brain, and in the second, we enrich it. It would seem a profit! But the science of sleep says the opposite: lack of sleep does not give the brain proper rest and leads to a decrease in cognitive functions, a deterioration in reaction and memory lapses.

The situation is aggravated by the fact that people cannot soberly assess the weakening of their mental and physical abilities, believing that they are in optimal condition. Thus, a sleep deprived person begins to lose a competitive advantage, at least in front of himself, but normally sleeping. Hours of missed sleep will inevitably have a negative impact on everyone’s professional and personal life.

You’ve probably heard that the sleep rate for an adult fluctuates around 7-8 hours a day.Is it really? Maybe you need to add a little or, conversely, subtract? And how much sleep is necessary in childhood, adolescence and adolescence? The answers to these questions are presented in a detailed study by the National Sleep Foundation, USA, a non-profit organization with a 25-year history of studying sleep-related phenomena.

A group of 18 researchers studied more than 300 (!) Scientific works in the field of sleep and made on their basis a number of conclusions about the rate of rest.

This is the first time that any professional body has developed age-specific sleep duration guidelines based on a rigorous systematic review of the worldwide scientific literature regarding the effects of sleep duration on health, performance and safety.

Charles Czeisler

Professor at Harvard School of Medicine

As expected, the younger a person, the more sleep his body needs to rest. So, newborns should sleep up to 2/3 days, while for older people seven hours will be enough.

The report by Charles and colleagues confirms the previously announced 7-9 hour sleep schedule.Of course, this is an average indicator, which will seem too exaggerated to some, for example, supporters of polyphasic sleep. But science does not have reliable information confirming the safety of such relaxation techniques.

But scientists boldly say that a lot of sleep is also harmful. Stick to the norm, and your remaining 15-17 hours of wakefulness will be marked by quality, benefit and pleasure!

But what if the dream does not come in any way? Find out 30 ways to get rid of insomnia.

Is it true that with age a person needs less time to sleep

• Claudia Hammond
• BBC Future

May 31, 2016

Photo author, Getty

It is generally accepted that the older a person gets , the less he needs sleep. But, as the columnist found out

BBC Future , there may be very different reasons for early climbs.

Older people often complain of sleep problems.Half of them experience sleep disturbances, and a quarter to a third suffer from insomnia.

Apparently, there are two main difficulties: falling asleep in the evening and not waking up too early in the morning – so that you can no longer sleep.

In some cases, sleep disorders are exacerbated by health problems. But many are forced to stay awake (at least part of the night) even in the absence of symptoms of illness that would prevent them from falling asleep.

Lack of sleep can have long-term effects on immunity and many other health indicators, including overall well-being.

In addition, lack of sleep can result in drowsiness during the day and an increased risk of accidents.

However, maybe with age people just need less sleep, so there is nothing to worry about?

Photo author, Getty

Photo caption,

The biological clock of older people can prevent them from falling asleep during the day, even if a person really wants it

However, it is much more difficult to establish how much sleep people of different ages really need than it might seem at first sight.

It is, of course, possible to calculate how many hours people actually sleep and see that, on average, older people sleep less than younger people.

However, this only indicates that they sleep less, but not that they require less sleep.

It is sometimes said that older people do not sleep at night because they have time to take a nap during the day. Others, on the other hand, argue that excessive sleepiness during the day should not be considered an inevitable companion of aging.

Doctors often do not take seriously the complaints of retirees about insomnia. One study found that while 69% of older adults reported sleep problems, 81% of those older adults did not have a history of sleep problems.

Assuming that older people require as much sleep as others, why then do they sleep less?

One of the hypotheses is that in the process of aging, the daily rhythm of the body is disturbed, as a result of which a person wakes up earlier than he should.

Studies have shown that the daytime cycle in older people does shift, causing them to get up earlier and go to bed earlier.

Perhaps they still need more sleep, but sleep does not come to them, and even when they do fall into slumber, the quality of sleep is no longer the same as in younger years.

Recently, a new study on this topic was carried out in Russia. One morning, 130 people came to the science laboratory, who stayed there for the whole day and the next night.

During this entire time, scientists did not let them sleep and regularly asked them to rate how sleepy they felt.

The feeling of sleepiness changes during the day and during the night, and in similar experiments based on sleep deprivation, it is assumed that it reflects processes associated with the body’s biorhythms – such as changes in body temperature during the day and the evening release of the hormone melatonin …

Photo author, Getty

Photo caption,

Decreased production of melatonin with age can affect sleep

In addition, slow-wave brain activity was measured several times during the day and night.

Then all these data were analyzed in relation to the sleep diary, which the volunteers had kept over the previous week, to determine how the feeling of sleepiness and slow-wave activity changed depending on the chronotype of the person (typical for a given person, the nature of daily activity – Ed.) …

Scientists have re-established that older people and younger people feel sleepy at different times and that they have different slow-wave activity rates.

The author of the study, Arkady Putilov, believes that the reduction in the duration of sleep may be due to the action of two mechanisms.

In his opinion, in middle age, the processes that determine the periods of slow-wave sleep are disrupted, which makes it difficult to sleep. In addition, in the elderly, the circadian rhythm is shifted due to a decrease in the amplitude of changes in body temperature and a decrease in the production of melatonin.

The fact that circadian rhythm disturbances cause sleep disturbances in older people is supported by completely new data from a smartphone app called Entrain.

This application was developed at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor (USA) with the goal of making it easier for people to adapt to time zone changes.

Users of the application are prompted to indicate their normal sleep patterns and give permission to provide this data to scientists.

Five thousand people from all over the world agreed to provide the data, thanks to which the researchers obtained a general picture of the sleep patterns of people of different ages living in different parts of the world.

Groups of “larks” and “owls” have emerged among the youth. But for older people, the results were more uniform: most of them woke up early and went to bed relatively early.

The study found that men after forty sleep least of all, and this is an unusual result.

However, the fact that older people have a tendency to sleep at a certain time, established in the course of the same experiment, indicates that there are shorter periods of time in the daily cycle of pensioners during which they are able to fall asleep and sleep for several hours.

So, if biorhythm changes prevent older people from falling asleep and keep them awake all the time, maybe the statement that they need less sleep is just a myth? They just have a shorter period of time during which they can sleep.

Perhaps it is not naps during the day that prevents them from falling asleep at night, but the lack of sleep at night makes them sleepy and the need to take a nap during the day to compensate for the lack of sleep.

Author of the photo, Getty

Caption to the photo,

Perhaps a nap is necessary due to the fact that a person does not get enough sleep at night

But the debate does not end there.In a 2008 study at Brigham & Weemen’s Hospital (USA), participants were given the opportunity to sleep 16 hours a night for several days.

People between the ages of 60 and 72 slept an average of 7.5 hours a day, while those in the 18-32 age group managed to sleep almost nine hours a day.

This suggests that young people needed more sleep than older people – or that they had more sleep fatigue because they went to bed later.

The results of this experiment do not allow us to exclude the fact that the biological clock of older people does not allow them to sleep during the day, even if they need it.

However, a new hitch emerged in a follow-up study from the University of Surrey (UK) with the participation of some scientists from the same group.

This time the volunteers were asked to sleep at different times during the day. The elderly again found it more difficult to fall asleep – either their biological clock prevented them from switching off, or they did not accumulate the same sleep deficit as young people.

So now the technicians were artificially creating insufficient sleep for them. They monitored their brain activity throughout the night and each time they detected slow waves, they made a loud noise in the room to interfere with their sleep.

The next day, tired pensioners fell asleep during the day as easily as young people.

This shows that if they really need to sleep, they can do it. Perhaps they don’t usually get that much sleep.

After studying the results of 320 studies, a group of experts invited by the National Sleep Foundation (USA) recommended that adults under the age of 64 get 7-9 hours of sleep a day, and after 65 years – 7-8 hours.

At the same time, the idea that the processes that determine the circadian rhythm change in the human body with aging also seems logical.

So, apparently, it is impossible to unequivocally answer the question whether it is true that older people need less time to sleep.

But we can say with confidence that when in the morning twilight a tired person tosses and turns in bed for long hours, trying in vain to fall asleep, he feels unhappy, and this must be taken seriously.

It should be noted that during

The Cochrane Review of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Sleep Disorders in People Over 60 Years of Age, reviewed the most successful attempts to use it.

It has been found to be effective in some cases and deserves consideration by physicians as an alternative to sleeping pills.

• Limitation of Liability. All information in this article is provided for general information only and should not be considered as an alternative to the advice of your healthcare professional or other healthcare professional. The BBC assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the diagnoses made by the user based on the content of this website. The BBC is not responsible for the information posted on external sites linked to in this article and does not endorse any commercial products or services mentioned or recommended on any of these sites.If you have any health problems, be sure to consult with your therapist.

How much do children need to sleep, and how much

The amount of sleep required for children and adults varies and this is important to consider.

The US National Sleep Foundation has published information on the optimal amount of sleep for all age groups, from newborns to the elderly. According to experts, the amount of sleep varies greatly depending on the number of years lived.

Newborns up to 3 months . On average, newborns need to sleep from 14 to 17 hours a day, however, there are individual deviations from 11 hours to 19.

Infants 4-11 months . Babies already need less sleep, they begin to adapt to night sleep, so they need less daytime sleep. The optimal sleep time at this age is about 15 hours, although some babies can get by as much as ten hours.

Babies from 1 to 2 years old . The ideal amount of sleep for these babies is 12-15 hours. If children sleep less, they will be hyperactive during their waking hours.

Preschoolers from 3 to 5 years old . At this age, the optimal sleep duration is reduced to 10-13 hours. Sleeping less than 8 hours will affect their behavior.

Pupils from 6 to 13 years old . The ideal sleep time for elementary school students is 7 to 12 hours.At this age, children need to assimilate a large amount of information, and the process of writing into long-term memory is activated during sleep, so the more a student absorbs information, the more sleep he needs to assimilate it.

Adolescents from 14 to 17 years old. This life span is characterized by the play of hormones, in order to cope with it, a teenager needs at least 8-9 hours of sleep.

Adults from 18 to 64 years old .In adulthood, the amount of sleep fits the well-known figure of 7-9 hours, but sleep less than 6 hours can have dangerous health consequences.

Source: MedicForum.

As Kubanskie Novosti reported, experts named five drinks that help to fall asleep as soon as possible.

90,000 Sleep features in the elderly

Normal healthy sleep is as necessary as the need for oxygen and food.Thanks to good sleep, the nervous system and body cells are renewed.

Rest less than 6 hours is considered insufficient. Sleep disturbances take a serious hit on the immune system and shorten life expectancy. The widespread prevalence of sleep disorders in old age is well known to the physician of any specialty. In everyday practice, these complaints are so persistent and constant that the doctor often follows the lead of an elderly patient, prescribing sleeping pills for him, including in those cases where they are not needed and even harmful.

Patients often notice that the time to fall asleep increases with age, and sleep becomes more responsive. It is easier to wake them up in the middle of the night, but it is not always possible to immediately return to sleep after that. These are normal age-related changes. However, insomnia or, conversely, excessive daytime sleepiness are alarming symptoms at any age. Therefore, it is important to distinguish natural changes from a real problem that must be dealt with. Insomnia can be recognized by the patient’s complaints and his appearance – red eyes, depressed mood, dry lips, puffiness under the eyes.Insomnia affects activity, mood and general well-being. A person develops nervousness, irritability, and outbursts of anger. Lack of adequate sleep affects family relationships, decreases attention and increases the risk of somatic diseases.

In old age, age-related changes in sleep occur. Its total duration and need decreases from 10 hours in youth to 7–8 hours in the middle of life and to 5–6 hours at the age of 70 and older. Therefore, if an elderly person took a nap for about 1 hour after lunch, then 5-hour sleep at night is the norm and does not require treatment, even if the patient thinks otherwise.In addition, the time to fall asleep increases, the stage of slow wave sleep decreases, and motor activity during sleep increases. Often there is a shift in the phases of sleep to an earlier period, when a person experiences severe sleepiness at 20 o’clock, and at 3-4 o’clock in the morning he wakes up and can no longer fall asleep. Short falling asleep during the day is characteristic. These changes are not pathological, but an elderly person needs to get used to them.

What prevents older people from sleeping properly?

In many cases, it is too long waiting for the onset of sleep.At the same time, unfavorable factors often appear, which are clearly manifested during falling asleep: depressive mood, tension, internal anxiety, inability to turn off, fear of the night or of the coming day, pain and other physical ailments.

An older person gets less tired during the day due to less busyness. To sleep well at night, you have to be busy during the day (in other words, good sleep is the reward for daytime stress).

An older person has more chronic diseases that interfere with nighttime sleep.These include chronic lung diseases, arterial hypertension, gastric ulcer, angina attacks, arthritis and joint pain, neuritis, bronchial asthma, tumors, etc.

In old age, mental disorders that worsen sleep are much more common – depression, dementia, delirious episodes, and their combination.

An elderly person often takes medications that can impair sleep. These include some cough suppressants, caffeine-containing headache tablets, and others.An elderly person is often unaware of their ability to worsen sleep.

Another serious problem is the overuse and uncontrolled use of benzodiazepines and barbiturates to improve sleep. These drugs are quickly addictive, and when taken haphazardly, they have the opposite effect and disrupt sleep.

Sleep apnea, which is a lack of breathing, is a common sleep disorder in the elderly. This disorder is more common in overweight older men. The disorder is preceded by increasing nocturnal snoring, which, after a few months or years, turns into respiratory arrest.In the elderly, this phenomenon poses a significant risk and can be the cause of sudden death during sleep.

How to improve the quality of sleep?

As people age, they become more susceptible to stress and external factors that can disrupt normal sleep. The first step to improving sleep quality is adjusting your habits (diet, alcohol consumption, physical activity) and adherence to a regimen.

In the elderly, the “internal clock” is more sensitive to forced changes in sleep and wakefulness.Therefore, it is important first of all to follow the daily routine and avoid sudden changes in it. You also need to pay attention to the lighting and temperature in the bedroom.

• Always wake up at the same time, even on weekends.
• Try to go to bed only when you feel sleepy.
• If you go to bed and feel that you will not be able to sleep anytime soon, it is better to get up and do something in a relaxed atmosphere. Return to bed when you feel sleepy.
• If you have difficulty falling asleep at night, try not to sleep during the day. As a last resort, try to sleep no later than three in the afternoon and no longer than one hour.
• Choose a nightly relaxation ritual – a warm bath, reading or a light snack.
• Take time to be physically active. Intense loads are suitable for the first half of the day, lighter exercises can be done in the late afternoon, no later than 4 hours before going to bed.
• Observe the regime.Try to go to bed, get up, eat, exercise, and work around the same time. Then your internal clock will work smoothly, and your well-being will noticeably improve.
• Avoid overeating at night, restrict yourself to a light snack shortly before bed.
• Avoid foods and drinks containing caffeine (coffee, tea, some sodas, cocoa, chocolate) or consume them no later than 6 hours before bed.
• Do not drink alcohol if you feel sleepy.Even a small dose of alcohol consumed in this condition can greatly impair concentration. Do not use alcohol as a sleeping pill: it can help you fall asleep, but such a dream will be short and incomplete. Alcohol should not be combined with sleeping pills and certain other drugs – always consult your doctor.
• Do not smoke before bed and during the night.
• Take sleeping pills only as directed by your healthcare practitioner. If you have trouble breathing during sleep (snoring, stopping breathing, waking up with a feeling of shortness of breath, headache or nausea), be sure to inform your doctor.Many sedatives and sleeping pills depress the respiratory center, so taking them can be life-threatening for respiratory problems.

To combat insomnia, folk remedies and herbs are useful – mint, lemon balm, motherwort, hawthorn, valerian, St. John’s wort, dill seeds. They will help make sleep more restful, get rid of worries and anxiety.

If traditional methods of dealing with insomnia do not help, contact a doctor-somnologist and get tested.Then you can be sure that the prescribed drugs are best suited. You should not prescribe sleeping pills on your own.

What are the most common sleep disorders?

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) (Sleep Apnea) – Cessation of pulmonary ventilation during sleep for more than 10 seconds. More often it lasts 20-30 seconds, in severe cases it can reach 2-3 minutes and take up to 60% of the total nighttime sleep. With regular apnea, usually at least 10–15 per hour, sleep apnea syndrome occurs with disturbed sleep patterns and daytime sleepiness, impaired memory and intelligence, complaints of decreased performance and constant fatigue.OSA can be one of the causes of snoring. In this case, there is loud snoring with sighs, noisy intake of air and noticeable pauses in breathing due to airway obstruction. After a short awakening, breathing resumes. Such episodes disrupt the natural sleep process, and in the morning, although a person does not remember these micro-awakenings, he does not feel fully rested. Apnea affects one in four people over the age of 60 to one degree or another. An OSA sufferer may wake up to several hundred times a night and feel very sleepy during the day.OSA negatively affects concentration and can be the cause of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, arterial hypertension and diabetes.
  For mild apnea, the problem can be solved by reducing weight and avoiding sleeping on your back. Moderate to severe apnea requires continuous positive blood pressure (CPAP) therapy. The CPAP machine delivers pressurized air to the airways, keeping them open and preventing obstruction.
• Central sleep apnea (CAS) – cessation of breathing during sleep due to disruption of the respiratory muscles.Patients with CAS often sigh or breathe shallowly at night, and may not snore. In the morning they complain of frequent awakenings and weakness. Treatments for central apnea include the use of CPAP devices, oxygen and drug therapy. You should pay attention to the possible side effects of treatment and be sure to consult with your doctor.
• The syndrome of the advanced phase of sleep (“Lark syndrome ” ). As a person gets older, their circadian rhythm often shifts to an earlier time.Many people easily adapt to age-related changes and follow the usual routine. However, some older people notice that they began to get tired and go to bed earlier, sometimes even before nine o’clock in the evening. Going to bed so early, they wake up long before the usual wake-up time – at three to four in the morning. This shifted sleep pattern is called “lark syndrome.” This can cause serious discomfort in social life. A person wakes up too early when others are still asleep, and in the evening, when many social events take place, he already feels tired.People with advanced sleep syndrome often try to stay up late, but their internal clock still wakes them up early in the morning. Phototherapy is most often used to correct this shift. Light exposure in the afternoon helps to shift the hours of falling asleep to a later time.
• Periodic limb movement syndrome (MPL) and restless legs syndrome – About half of people over 65 experience twitching in the muscles of the legs (less often the arms) during the night. These contractions can be repeated up to several times a minute for several hours.MPCs do not usually wake the patient up, but they disrupt the normal sleep process. With moderate MPC, patients may not notice any changes, but with a more pronounced syndrome, they feel overwhelmed after sleep, complain of insomnia and daytime sleepiness. Restless legs syndrome is also common in patients with MPC – discomfort in the legs that occurs when sitting or lying down. Usually these are itchy, stitching, pressing sensations that force a person to move their legs, massage them.The attending physician will help identify the cause of the syndrome and select the necessary medication.
• Behavior disorder during REM sleep . Normally, during the dreaming phase, the muscles are relaxed and the body is practically immobilized. When behavior is disturbed during REM sleep, the patient literally participates in the events that he sees in the dream. With such a disorder, people jump out of bed, can break furniture, fall, injuring themselves and those sleeping next to them. Most of these patients are men over 50 years of age.Also, this disorder often occurs in people with Parkinson’s disease. It is necessary to consult with a specialist to identify the cause of the behavior disorder during REM sleep and choose a treatment.
• Sleepwalking and other sleep disorders are common in older people and cause significant discomfort to those close to them. It is important to control such manifestations in order to eliminate the risk of injury to the patient.

Olga Karulina,
doctor of the Regional Center for Medical Prevention

90,000 A Quick Guide to Good Daily Sleep

If you want to know how to get enough sleep, you’ve come to the right place.This guide will tell you everything you need to know if you want better sleep. I will explain the physics of sleep and how everything works. I will delve deeper into the question of why many people suffer from sleep deprivation without knowing it. I will give practical advice on how to get enough sleep and be more energetic.

I. Physics of sleep

Sleep is one of the strangest things we do every day. The average adult spends 36% of his life sleeping. During the day we are energetic, conscious, active organisms, and then for one third of our time on earth we go into a state of hibernation.

But what is sleep? Why is it so important and how does it restore our body and brain? How does it affect our lives when we are awake?

Sleep target

Sleep serves several purposes that are needed by the brain and body. Let’s detail some of the most important ones.

The first goal is recovery. Every day, your brain accumulates metabolic waste products during its normal neural cycle. While it is perfectly normal, the accumulation of large amounts of this waste is associated with neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s.

How do we get rid of metabolic waste? Recent research has shown that sleep plays a critical role in cleansing the brain every night. Although toxins can be flushed out while we are awake, researchers have found that cleansing is twice as fast during sleep.

The way this process proceeds is quite impressive:

During sleep, brain cells literally shrink 60%, which allows the waste disposal system in the brain (called the glial lymphatic system) to virtually “take out debris” in an easier way.Result? Your brain regenerates during sleep and you wake up refreshed and with a clear mind.

The second purpose of sleep is to strengthen long-term memory. Sleep is essential for memory consolidation, a process that maintains and strengthens long-term memories. Insufficient or fragmented sleep can interfere with the ability to form both material memories (reality and images) and emotional ones.

Finally, sleep is of the utmost importance for a healthy metabolism. Research has shown that when you sleep 5.5 hours a night instead of 8.5 hours, more of the energy you burn comes from carbohydrates and protein and less from fat. This can predispose to weight gain and muscle loss. In addition, sleep deprivation or abnormal sleep cycles increase the risk of insulin resistance (high levels of insulin in the blood) and metabolic syndrome, increasing the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

This suggests that good sleep is critical to mental and physical health.

How many hours of sleep do you need?

To answer this question, let’s look at an experiment conducted by researchers at Pennsylvania and Washington State.

Researchers collected 48 healthy men and women who, on average, slept seven to eight hours a night. All participants were divided into four groups. The first group had to survive three days without sleep. The participants in the second group slept 4 hours a day. The third group – 6 hours a day.The fourth group – 8 hours a day. Subjects in the last three groups spent 4, 6 and 8 hours of sleep for two weeks in a row. Throughout the experiment, participants were tested for physical and mental performance.

This is how it ended …

Subjects who were allowed an adequate 8-hour sleep did not show any cognitive impairment, decreased attention, or impaired motor skills during the 14-day study. The groups that slept for 4 and 6 hours gradually weakened every day.The group with four hours of sleep performed the worst results, but the group with six hours of sleep was not much different. In particular, two important findings emerged.

First, sleep deficit is cumulative. Sleep deficits “have neurobiological consequences that accumulate over time,” the researchers said. After a week, 25% of the 6-hour sleep group fell asleep at random times throughout the day. After two weeks, they had a performance deficit that was the same as if they had not slept for two days in a row.Let me repeat: if you sleep 6 hours a night for two weeks in a row, your mental and physical performance is reduced to the same level as if you did not sleep for 48 hours in a row.

Secondly, the participants did not notice any decrease in productivity. When they assessed themselves, they felt that their performance had dropped for a few days, but then returned to normal. In fact, it continued to deteriorate every day. In other words, we are disgusting judges of our own performance, especially when we purposely try to analyze it.

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Sleep deprivation cost

The irony is that many of us suffer from sleep deprivation because we work harder, but the decline in productivity ruins any potential benefit from this overtime.

Research shows that in the United States alone, non-sleepiness is costing more than $ 100 billion a year in lost productivity and worker productivity.

As Gregory Belenky, director of the Sleep and Performance Science Center at Washington State University, says, “Unless you’re doing manual labor, you’re selling sleep and buying low-quality work in return.”

And this brings us to an important question: at what point does sleep deprivation start to build up? When does performance degradation start to add up? According to various studies, the tipping point is usually around 7 or 7.5 hours. Overall, experts agree that 95 percent of adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night to function optimally.Most adults’ goal should be eight hours a day. Children, adolescents and the elderly usually need more.

Here’s a helpful analogy for why sleep is so important.

Cumulative stress theory

Imagine that your health and energy is a container of water. In everyday life, there are things that fill this capacity. Sleep is one of the main fillers. This also includes food, meditation, stretching, laughter, and other forms of recovery.

There are also processes that drain your capacity.These are plums – lifting or running, stress from work or school, relationship problems, or other forms of anxiety and mental stress.

Of course, the forces that drain your capacity are not all negatively charged. For life to be productive, it is important that at least some of the processes empty the capacity. By doing your best in the gym, at school, or in the office, you can produce something of value. But even positive results, they are still the same drain , and, accordingly, deplete energy reserves.

This drain is cumulative. Even a small leak can lead to significant water losses over time.

Keep container full

If you want your container to be full, you have two options.

1. Regularly refill it – find time for sleep and recovery.
2. Allow stressors to build up and drain capacity. When your strength is at zero, the body will force you to rest, using injuries and illnesses.

Recovery is not discussed. You either find time for rest and renewal now, or you wait until you get sick and harm the body later. Keep your container filled.

Ok, can I get some sleep?

Extra sleep can reverse some of the negative effects of several nights of lack of sleep. A recent study found that extra sleep on the weekends normalizes daytime sleepiness and irritability, but that cognitive performance is NOT restored.

What does this mean? If you are not getting enough sleep all week, do not expect to sleep on the weekend to regain focus and alertness. The only way to maintain your performance metrics is to make sure you get adequate sleep every day.

Does this mean that you shouldn’t even try to get some extra sleep? Does not mean. If you haven’t gotten enough sleep, you definitely need extra sleep. But the most important thing to do, both to restore current functionality and long term, is to prioritize sleep every night, not just on weekends.

II. Sleep work

Sleep-wake cycle

The quality of your sleep is determined by a process called the sleep-wake cycle.

This cycle has two important components:

1. Slow-wave sleep (known as deep sleep)
2. REM sleep (REM – Rapid Eye Movement – rapid eye movement, REM sleep)

During slow wave sleep, the body relaxes, breathing becomes more measured, blood pressure drops, the brain becomes less sensitive to external stimuli, which makes it difficult to wake up.This is a critical phase for the renewal and restoration of the body. During NREM sleep, the pituitary gland releases growth hormone, which stimulates tissue growth and muscle repair. Researchers also believe that the immune system is restored at this stage. Slow-wave sleep is especially important if you are an athlete. Some professional athletes sleep 11-12 hours a day.

A study conducted on Stanford basketball players showed that about 2 hours of sleep ( at least 10 hours ) improved their speed and basket hit rates.If you make heavy physical demands on your body, slow sleep is a must for you.

REM sleep is to the mind what slow sleep is to the body. The brain is relatively calm during most of the sleep phases, but during fast sleep it revives. REM sleep is a process where the brain generates dreams and reorganizes information. During this phase, the brain is cleared of unimportant information, stimulates memory, linking the perception of the environment over the past 24 hours with experiences from the past, promotes cognition and growth of the nervous system.Body temperature rises, blood pressure rises, and heart rate rises. Despite all this activity, the body is practically immobilized. Typically, REM sleep occurs in short bursts of 3 to 5 times per night.

Deprived of slow and rapid sleep phases, the body literally begins to die. If you exhaust yourself with lack of sleep, you cannot physically recover, your immune system is weakened, and your brain becomes clouded. Or, according to the researchers, sleep deprived people are at increased risk of viral infections, weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, mental illness, heart disease, and death.

To summarize: REM sleep helps to recover physically, and REM sleep helps mentally. The time you spend in these phases tends to decrease with age, which means both sleep quality and your body’s ability to recover also decrease with age.

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Age-related changes in sleep

From a Harvard Medical School study, “As people age, it takes longer for them to fall asleep.This phenomenon is called increased sleep latency. And sleep efficiency – the percentage of time spent sleeping – also decreases. ”

Based on my calculations above, the average 80-year-old gets a whopping 62% less slow sleep than the average 20-year-old (20% vs. 7.5%). There are many factors that affect the aging of tissues and cells in the body, but obviously, if your body gets less slow sleep to regenerate itself every night, then the aging process accelerates.

It is appropriate to summarize that good sleep is the best defense against premature aging.

Circadian rhythm

What causes the sleep-wake cycle?

Answer: circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is the biological cycle of various processes that occur within about 24 hours.

Here are some key points in a typical 24-hour cycle:

6 a.m. Cortisol levels rise to wake up the brain and body

7 a.m. Melatonin production stops

9 a.m. A jump in the production of sex hormones

10 a.m. Leap of mental activity

2:30 pm. Better coordination of movements

3:30 PM. Increased reaction

5 p.m. The highest activity of the cardiovascular system and muscle strength

7 p.m. Highest blood pressure and body temperature readings

9 p.m. The released melatonin begins to prepare the body for sleep

10 p.m. Intestinal activity decreases, with a decrease in body activity

2 nights. Deepest Sleep

4 nights. Lowest body temperature

Obviously, these time points are inaccurate and simply represent an overall picture of the circadian rhythm. The exact timing of your circadian rhythm depends on daylight, habits, and other factors, which we will discuss later.

Three main factors affect circadian rhythm: light, time and melatonin.

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Light. Probably the most significant factor. By fixing your gaze in bright light for 30 minutes or so, you can reset your circadian rhythm no matter what time it is. More often than not, sunrise and light hitting the eyes initiates the transition to a new cycle.

Time . Specific times of the day, specific routines, and sequence of activities can affect the sleep-wake cycle.

Melatonin . It is a hormone that induces drowsiness and controls body temperature. Melatonin is produced in a predictable circadian rhythm, increasing after dark and decreasing before dawn. Researchers believe that the melatonin cycle helps keep the sleep-wake cycle at the desired level.

Two-Process Sleep Regulation Model

In 1982, Dr. Alexander Borbeli published an article in the journal Human Neurobiology describing what he called a two-way model of sleep regulation. This conceptual structure of sleep describes the processes that occur simultaneously, regulating the states of sleep and wakefulness.

Process 1 – sleep pressure. Basically, this pressure increases from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed. While you sleep, the pressure is reduced.If you get a full night’s sleep, the next day starts with low sleep pressure.

Process 2 is a wake-up drive that counteracts sleep pressures and is controlled by a 24-hour rhythm that repeats in a waveform.

It is important to understand this process because it helps to reveal an important conclusion about sleep in the modern world that I learned from Dan Purdy:

Over millions of years, our ancestors evolved to sleep at night (when it’s dark) and wake up during the day (when it’s light).However, in today’s world, we work all day, often in areas where the outside is brighter than the workplace. And then, at night, we look at bright screens and televisions. Weak light during the day and more light at night counteract natural cycles, and this can well ruin your waking and circadian rhythms.

The result of this shift? Sleepiness and impaired functionality during the day. Tip: Use common sense daylight habits. Go outside while it’s light to get a dose of daylight, turn off the lights and screens at nightfall.

When should I go to bed?

If you sleep the recommended 8 hours, does it matter what time of day you sleep?

“The time you spend in bed at night greatly affects the structure and quality of your sleep,” says Dr. Matt Walker, head of the Sleep and Neuroimaging Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley.

The ratio of REM to slow-wave sleep varies during the night, from the dominance of deep cycles in the early stages of sleep to REM sleep near dawn, Walker says.This means late night can be the result of not getting enough deep sleep. As we discussed earlier, getting healthy amounts of both REM and deep sleep is critical.

When should you go to bed to get enough sleep of both types? Walker says there is a window of several hours between 8pm and midnight.

The best time is different for everyone.

Till Rönneberg, professor of chronobiology at Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, who studies the biological origins of sleep, says that each individual has a unique temporal profile, called the sleep chronotype, that defines our belonging on a scale from lark to owl.Your chronotype is largely genetic.

When choosing a time to sleep, try not to resist physiology. The best sleep times will vary slightly for everyone, but it is important that you pay closer attention to your internal clock and what your body is saying. If you get the recommended 8 hours of sleep, just focus on finding the time that works best for you.

III. How to sleep better

Fall asleep faster

Develop the habit of “shutting down” before going to bed. Light from computer screens, televisions, and telephones can interfere with the production of melatonin, which means your body won’t prepare hormones to enter sleep. Specifically, the blue light spectrum wave is responsible for reducing the production of melatonin. Developing a “shutdown” ritual where you turn off all electronics an hour or two before bed can help you tremendously. On top of that, working late, delaying late into the night, maintains feverish thinking and high levels of stress, which also make it difficult for the body to calm down before bed.Turn off your screens and read a book better. A great way to learn something useful and calm your powers before bed. (Another way is to install the f.lux app, which dims the screen as the sleep time approaches).

Use relaxation techniques. Researchers estimate that at least 50% of insomnia cases are related to emotion or stress. Look for unloading activities to reduce stress, and you will find that better sleep results.Proven methods are journaling, deep breathing exercises, meditation, exercise, and gratitude journaling (writing down something you are grateful for every day).

How to improve the quality and duration of sleep

Here are 3 levers you can use to improve your sleep.

1. Intensity – how deeply you sleep, based on the ratio of deep sleep to REM sleep each night.
2. Timing – points in time when you go to bed.When you fall asleep is important for two reasons. First, if you go to bed at about the same time every night, it’s easier for your body to develop good sleeping habits. Second, the moment you fall asleep should be in line with your circadian rhythm.
3. Duration – How much do you sleep each night.

You cannot influence the intensity too much. Here the main leader is your body and it controls the intensity of the sleep cycle (its phases). It adjusts automatically based on your needs and how much time you sleep.Exercise, smart light-regulation habits, and proper nutrition can help, but only indirectly.

This is actually good news, as things get easier for you. Since your body is self-regulating sleep, you only need to focus on two factors: when you go to sleep and how much you sleep.

If we make one more assumption, it will be possible to simplify still further. The assumption is that you wake up at about the same time every day.

If you wake up at the same time, then the duration of sleep is actually predetermined by when you go to bed.Simply put, if you go to bed earlier, you will sleep more. Improve the timing and this will improve the duration.

From a practical standpoint, timing is probably the most important of the three sleep levers discussed. The quality and quantity of sleep will improve if you go to bed earlier, at about the same time, and get up at the same time.

Daily Habits for Better Sleep

Now let’s talk about how to harness the power of daily habits to improve sleep quality.

Walk. Target – 30 minutes of sunshine every day.

Turn off the light. When it gets dark outside, dim the lights in your home and reduce blue or daylight in your surroundings. Use apps that create light filters on screens and adjust their temperature to match the time of day.

Avoid caffeine. If you have trouble falling asleep, avoid caffeine in your diet. If you cannot do without a mug of coffee in the morning, give up coffee (and caffeinated drinks – tea, cola, energy drinks – approx.translator) after lunch. This will give the caffeine enough time to pass before bed.

Stop smoking or chewing tobacco. Chewing tobacco has been linked to a long line of health problems, and poor sleep is one item on this list.

Use the bedroom for sleep and sex only. Is your bedroom set up for a good night’s sleep? The ideal place to sleep should be dark, cool, and calm. Don’t turn your bedroom into a multi-functional room. Remove your TV, laptop, electronics and warehouse from it, then it will be easier to fall asleep and harder to be distracted.If you go to the bedroom, go there to sleep.

Natural Sleep Aids

Physical activity. Load has too many benefits to list here. Exercise can help your brain and body relax before bed. In addition, being overweight can negatively affect sleep patterns. The role of physical activity increases over the years. Fit middle-aged adults sleep significantly more soundly than overweight people of the same age.One caveat: try to carry out the load 2-3 hours before bedtime, because mental and physical stimulation can put the nervous system into an agitated state and prevent you from falling asleep (it all depends on the body. Some people – according to narrow studies – exercise, on the contrary, can calm down and in no way do not affect sleep – you need to experiment – translator’s note).

Temperature . Most people sleep better in a cool room. The ideal gap is usually between 18 and 21 degrees Celsius.

Sound. A quiet space is the key to good sleep. If calmness and silence are difficult to achieve, try to control the sounds by creating “white noise” with a fan. Or use earplugs.

Alcohol . A dangerous moment. It is true that drinking alcohol before bed – “a shot at bedtime” – often helps to fall asleep. But this is only to fall asleep. In fact, alcohol reduces sleep quality in general and delays REM sleep. You fall asleep faster, but you will most likely wake up feeling exhausted.It is better to try some sleep methods instead of drinking alcohol.

In conclusion

Cumulative sleep deficit is the chasm between you and full functioning. If you want to understand how to get enough sleep, the answer is simple but incredibly underrated in our performance-obsessed culture: Get more sleep.

This is a translation of James Clear’s article The Science of Sleep: A Brief Guide on How to Sleep Better Every Night.

90,000 How much sleep does a student need and what to do if he refuses to sleep

A newborn baby spends most of the day sleeping – from 17 to 20 hours.As a person grows older, sleep becomes less and less long, and for many old people, in order to get enough sleep and feel rested, five to six hours are enough. How long does a younger student need to sleep, how to understand that he does not get enough sleep, and whether the child needs to sleep during the day, says psychologist Olga Gumanova.

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The younger student (7-10 years old) should sleep 10-11 hours a day. You can distribute this time in different ways: one child will do well with a regime with a longer night’s sleep, but putting him to sleep during the day will be difficult, and there is no need.Another will feel better if he is allowed to go to bed later in the evening, at the same time as the adults, but in the afternoon, when he returns from school, the child will willingly agree to take an hour or two naps.

At this age – from 7 to 10 years – the child is not yet able to independently detect the connection between lack of sleep and decreased attention, memory impairment. It is the parents’ concern to monitor whether the student sleeps enough, whether he gets enough sleep, whether the lack of sleep affects his well-being.

Signs that the child is not getting enough sleep

• Does not wake up by itself, can only wake up on an alarm clock, and then with difficulty.
• Is naughty in the morning, a small remark or failure can cause a disproportionate storm of anger or tears.
• The child is lethargic and has poor coordination. They joke about such people: “To raise – they raised, and to wake up – they forgot.”
• In the classroom, it is difficult to perceive and memorize new material, is constantly distracted.

What to do if you find signs of lack of sleep in your child

First of all, set up a regimen. It is important that the student falls asleep and wakes up at the same time every day. Shortly before the evening sleep, it is advisable to start preparing for it: to give up noisy games, the use of gadgets, all energetic, exciting activities. An audiobook or a calm, monotonous game can be used as a “lullaby” to tune you to sleep.

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It is advisable that the room in which the child sleeps is well ventilated, the windows in it are tightly curtained so that the light of street lamps, windows of neighboring houses or the moon does not penetrate.If the child is afraid of the dark, then you can leave a small night light on or give the child a flashlight with which he can go to the toilet, find some necessary item.

If the child has signs of lack of sleep, then first of all it is necessary to establish a regime

It is very important to set aside time for communication with the child, such when it will be possible to discuss in detail how the day went, to ask not only in passing about business, but mentally about feelings and experiences.

Having a warm conversation with your parents is a very good way to finish things and get ready for bed.And bodily contact – what could be more pleasant than “cuddling” at night?

One of the main enemies of a good sleep is the habit of communicating on the Internet without a time frame, round-the-clock access to mobile devices and games. Of course, older schoolchildren, already adolescents, are usually fond of this, but the age of “gadget addicts” is steadily decreasing towards younger students. Especially in cases where the child has an older brother or sister, and the freedom to use gadgets at any time looks like a sign of adulthood.

If the child does not want to go to bed

The most effective way of upbringing is to let the consequences of their actions be taken care of by themselves, “not laying straws.” Played the game until dawn? Your right, but at 6.30 you will have to get up and get dressed, regardless of whether you managed to get enough sleep in the remaining time or not.

With a junior schoolchild who, as already mentioned, does not yet know how to associate his sluggish state today and late “lights out” yesterday, this method may turn out to be too harsh.It is advisable to delegate responsibility for his sleep to the child gradually, relying on the experience he already has. “Do you remember how hard it was for you to get up yesterday, how difficult it was to get to school, and even more so – to complete some tasks in the lesson, read, write, listen? It looks like it’s because the day before yesterday you were sitting up late with your phone on. Maybe today we will turn it off early so that tomorrow it won’t be like that? ”

Younger schoolchildren need to delegate responsibility for their sleep gradually

If the rules are violated

A child is used to going to bed with adults after midnight on vacation – a familiar situation.It will not be so easy to return it to a more useful mode. At first, perhaps, the student will simply not be able to fall asleep at 22.00. But the transition to an earlier time to fall asleep can be made smooth. Today we go to bed 15 minutes earlier than yesterday. Tomorrow – another 15 minutes earlier and so on, until we arrive at the desired ten o’clock before the alarm clock.

If insomnia lasts longer

If a child’s insomnia lasts more than a week, then this is not a reason for parental notices, but for contacting a pediatric neurologist.If a child is already lying in bed for a long time, sometimes more than an hour, cannot fall asleep, wakes up many times during the night, there may be purely medical explanations for this, not related to “wrong behavior”.

If a child suffers from prolonged insomnia, it is necessary to contact a pediatric neurologist

Daytime sleep

What about daytime sleep, how useful is it and is it needed for those who have already left kindergarten age? The main indicator of the need for sleep is that it does not cause protests from the child.On the contrary, the student himself expresses the desire to “take a nap”.

There is a trend now to give schoolchildren short naps during the day, called naps. They are included in the schedule of some educational institutions, including in Russia. The studies of American and British scientists are devoted to the benefits of short breaks, which prove that it is 25-30 minute breaks that are much more beneficial for a child than prolonged sleep for up to two hours, as in kindergartens for toddlers.Or than the lack of daytime sleep. For example, the authors of the sleep.org website about healthy sleep believe that this is how much time a child needs to recover, improve thinking, speech and fine motor skills. And after a longer sleep break, the child runs the risk of waking up sluggish. They consider the best time for a short nap in the afternoon, from 13.00 to 15.00.

An important task of a student is not only to enter a regime that helps to feel better in the classroom and to acquire new knowledge, but also to develop useful habits for the future, those on which his health will depend in adult life.He will develop a stereotype that sleep is something unimportant that can be neglected if an exam is coming, a quarterly report, or just a fun party. Or sleep is the most important component of well-being, for the sake of which things can wait.

Photo: iStockphoto (YakobchukOlena, Lisa5201, AndreyPopov)

Why sleep deprivation is dangerous

“Sleep is better than any medicine” Proverb

For many of us, going to bed later than usual has become so commonplace that we do not pay attention to it.We try to compensate for the lack of sleep on weekdays by sleeping on weekends. Especially young people “sin” of lack of sleep, who use the Internet for recreation, and at night instead of sleep they watch movies, play network games, communicate in social networks. Unfortunately, getting enough sleep is useless, therefore, whatever the reason for the lack of sleep, its result is obsessive drowsiness. And when sleep deprivation becomes a chronic occurrence in our lives, it’s time to sound the alarm.

Sleepiness can bring us down at work, school, damage relationships, cause sudden outbursts of anger and depression, and even pose a threat to life.People who neglect proper sleep often complain that they feel as if they are in a fog, that they have a bad headache, etc. Let’s figure out what problems await someone who ignores the need for good sleep:

1. Lack of sleep causes a slowdown in thought processes. Lack of sleep leads to a decrease in reaction and concentration. Sleep deprivation makes it harder to concentrate and easier to make mistakes. This makes it difficult to complete tasks that require logical reasoning or an integrated approach.Decision making becomes more difficult because it is impossible to correctly assess the situation.

2. Lack of sleep weakens memory. The fact is that during sleep, all the new information that we have learned during the day is included in short-term memory. At the same time, different phases of sleep play different roles in processing new information and translating it into long-term memory. If sleep is inadequate, memorization processes are disrupted.

3. Lack of sleep impairs learning ability.Since we cannot concentrate, it becomes more difficult for us to absorb information, thus,

it is impossible to learn effectively (including mastering new techniques and techniques). 4. Lack of sleep affects the psyche. Lack of sleep dramatically alters mood. Not getting enough sleep, we become irritable and aggressive, do not cope with emotional stress. Regular conflicts with your loved ones, friends – sleep deficit may be to blame for them.

5. The biggest danger of sleep deprivation: slower reaction.Sleep neglect puts not only study and work, but even life at risk. After all, sleepiness slows down the reaction rate and is akin to alcohol intoxication. On the roads alone, almost 100,000 accidents happen every year due to the fault of a tired driver. And almost a third of drivers have fallen asleep while driving at least once in their lives. In sports, sleepiness is also a guarantee of problems – the reaction time and spontaneous response slows down. 6. Body wear. Lack of sleep leads to wear and tear of the vascular system. Not getting enough sleep increases the risk of heart attack and hypertension.Doctors state that if you do not sleep enough, neither physical activity, nor proper nutrition, nor taking vitamins will help. Therefore, at the head of a healthy lifestyle is full, adequate sleep.

So how much sleep do you need to avoid hurting yourself? Of course, all people have a different “sleepy” need. It depends on age, gender, stress.