What benefits come from getting better sleep?
The health benefits of getting appropriate sleep – both in terms of duration and cycling through the correct stages of sleep – are numerous.
Sleep deprivation is linked closely to raising the risk of getting colds, flu, diabetes, heart disease, mental illnesses, and many more disorders. The body’s immune system is weakened due to insufficient sleep, vastly increasing a person’s chance of getting an illness.
Sleep allows the cells to repair themselves – some studies have shown that sleep even produces cells that repair and grown myelin – which is the insulation around nerve cells. In short, sleep heals.
How much sleep do people need?
Sleep needs can vary depending on a person’s health or on other factors – some people can function at high levels on just a few hours of sleep while others may need much more sleep. Further, sleep that is disturbed or does not include REM sleep may not count as effective sleep. However, on average, according to the National Sleep Foundation, the recommended sleep times per day by age group are as follows:
- Newborns (0-3 months ): 14-17 hours each day
- Infants (4-11 months): 12-15 hours
- Toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours
- Preschoolers (3-5): 10-13 hours
- School age children (6-13): 9-11 hours
- Teenagers (14-17): 8-10 hours
- Younger adults (18-25): 7-9 hours
- Adults (26-64): 7-9 hours
- Older adults (65+): 7-8 hours
With this in mind, how can people get enough sleep and get healthy sleep? Mobile Health offers:
13 Tips for Getting Better Sleep
1: Maintain a regular pattern. Try to go to sleep at the same time and wake up at the same time. If you need to change your pattern, do it gradually – 10-15 minute changes at a time.
2: Focus on using your bed for primarily sleeping. It’s tempting to read, watch TV, or use your computer in bed. Try not to. The more your body knows that the bed is only for sleeping, the more conditioned it will be to fall asleep quickly when you get in bed.
3: Limit alcohol or caffeine consumption in the hours leading up to bedtime.
4: Keep your bedroom dark. Really dark. Close the blinds and turn off electronics. Excessive light can confuse your circadian rhythm.
5: Keep your bedroom quiet. If it’s too noisy, use a white-noise machine or noise-canceling headphones.
6: Exercise… but maybe not late at night. Exercise can certainly help you sleep more soundly, but often exercise right before bed can make it more difficult to sleep.
7: Keep the temperature down. Too hot or too cold can disturb sleep. Shoot for somewhere in the 60-67 degree range, if possible.
8: Don’t hit the snooze button when you wake up. Getting 10 minute bursts of sleep can disturb REM sleep and result in grogginess. Instead of snoozing, just set your alarm clock later.
9: Clear your mind. Write down your racing thoughts or try deep breathing or relaxation exercises before going to bed. These are effective methods of eliminating stressful thoughts that may
keep you awake.
10: Limit daytime napping duration. Napping for 20-30 minutes can be an effective restorative – but going beyond that period of time can be detrimental to sleeping patterns.
11: Kick the dog out of bed. Sure, you love Fido, and it may sound harsh, but the movement of animals and the dander released by pet hair will disturb your sleep.
12: Turn your alarm clock the other way. One major stressor while trying to sleep is worrying about not being asleep. Looking at the clock and seeing that now you only have 7..6..5.5 hours left to sleep only exacerbates that stress.
13: Try putting a pillow between your legs. Often back or leg pain can keep people awake. Having a pillow between your legs realigns your body and results in better sleep – particularly if you sleep on your side.
We hope these tips help and Mobile Health wishes you sweet dreams!
Mobile Health is a NYC leader in employee health screening. With over 30 years of experience, our medical professionals are ready to provide all your pre-employment medical assessments including physicals, TB exams, vaccines, titers, and more. Our occupational health program also includes season on-site flu vaccines, respirator fit testing, radiology, complete laboratory services and full DOT screening.
