Better sleep health
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On some nights falling and staying asleep can feel like the toughest challenge especially if there are a lot of thoughts buzzing around the mind. When it comes to a good night’s rest everyone has his or her own theory about how this can be achieved. The number of hours of sleep needed varies for each individual and can change over a lifetime.
The best way to understand how many hours you need is to simply listen to your body.
Sleep is like food, you can limit yourself to a few 100 calories a day but in the end, this will have a greater impact on your general health. On average, most adults require seven to nine hours of sleep each night. You need a certain amount of sleep to not only stay alive but to thrive as prolonged and extreme sleep deprivation can have serious ramifications when it comes to your physical and mental health.
There is also the possibility of getting too much sleep. Regularly sleeping more than nine hours a night has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease. When your sleep-wake schedule swings back and forth every week it can increase the likelihood of developing a sleep disorder. As with most things in life, consistency is key.
Those who really struggle may look to alcohol to take off the edge when it comes to sleep. As a sedative, it may help you fall asleep but chances are this will affect your sleep quality. Alcohol suppresses REM, the stage of sleep that’s associated with memory consolidation and emotional wellbeing so in the long run will do you more harm rather than good.
So what steps can you take to work towards better sleep health?
Daily exercise and staying active
Practising mindfulness and meditation
Setting a regular sleep schedule – going to bed and waking up at the same time every day
Making the best of your sleep environment – bedroom temperature, light and sound
Creating a bedtime routine – make it relaxing and avoid the use of technology
There isn’t a single technique that works for everyone but using a trial and error method will help you figure out how to get those quality hours of sleep you need and deserve.