Do You Sleep Enough?

Snoozing alarms is an everyday thing for most of us. You always say “5 more minutes” whenever someone wakes you up in the morning despite any amount of hours you have slept in the night.  Haven’t there been times when you’ve slept for more than ten hours and still felt like you need more sleep? Yes right. So how much sleep does one need in a day?

How Many Hours Of Sleep Is Essential?

It’s a universally accepted fact that an individual, on average, requires at least eight hours of sleep in a day to function correctly. Still, in reality, the amount of sleep depends on your age.

According to the national sleep foundation guidelines, healthy adults require between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, whereas babies and young people need more than 9 hours of sleep for healthy growth and development.

The recommended hours of sleep for a person is divided into nine age segments, namely,

•        New-born babies, 0-3 months old, require around 14-17 hours of sleep per day.
•        Infants ranging from 4- 11 months old should be getting 11-15 hours of sleep.
•        For toddlers ranging from 1-2 years old, the recommended sleep amount is 11-14 hours.
•        Pre-school kids that are 3-5 years old should be getting 10-13 hours of sleep.
•        School kids, ranging from 6-13 years old, require 9-11 hours of sleep per night.
• -      14- 17-year-old teens require around 8-10 hours of sleep at least.
•        Young adults that are 18-25-year old’s are recommended to get 7-9 hours of sleep.
•        Adults ranging from 26 to 64-year old’s are also recommended 7-9 hours of sleep.
•        Individuals older than 64 should be getting7-8 hours of sleep per night.

In short, the amount of sleep required decreases by age until you reach adulthood because children need more rest than adults as they are still in their growing stage. However, these are just universal numbers and won’t apply to all because various other factors influence the amount of sleep you need, such as what work you do, exercise, etc.(Zilli, I., Ficca, G. and Salzarulo, P., 2009)

Benefits Of Getting An Adequate Amount Of Sleep.

If you are getting the required amount of sleep according to your age, you might have observed a positive change in the quality of your health. here’s a list of benefits you receive if you get the proper hours of sleep

•        Getting the recommended amount of sleep boosts your immune system to fight off various diseases. It helps you stay healthy and prevents you from falling sick often.
•        Sleep can also have an impact on your body weight. Not getting the right amount of sleep causes the body to release a hormone called Ghrelin that boosts appetite, which is majorly responsible for your cravings.
•        Getting the recommended hours of sleep also affects the mood of an individual. If you get the right amount of sleep, you are bound to be well-rested, which in turn elevates the mood.
•        Sleeping well adds to the health of your heart as well. Not getting enough sleep can cause high blood pressure and even increase the risk of heart attacks. Getting good sleep means giving your heart the needed rest to function properly.
•        Sleeping well also has an impact on your productivity. Not getting enough sleep can cause you to feel lazy throughout the day and, in turn, lead you to make mistakes in your work, thus dropping your productivity.

It is well established that getting the right amount of sleep is important for a person’s health and proper functioning.

So, do you get the recommended amount of sleep according to your age but still feel lazy/feel like you need more sleep? This is a prevalent thing in most people. Such a thing happens because you aren’t getting the right quality of sleep.

What Is Sleep Quality?

The quality of sleep an individual gets is just as important as breathing, drinking, and eating. Sleep is an essential aspect of one’s health. It is because of sleep that one feels rested enough and has adequate energy for the next day. Getting good quality deep sleep is just as crucial as getting the right amount. If the quality of sleep isn’t well, it won't matter how many hours you have slept; you still won’t feel well-rested. Below is a list of components that impact your quality of sleep.

Conclusion.

To sum it all up, the amount of sleep depends on what age you are. If you are a toddler or a school kid, you should be getting on an average of 10 or more than 10 hours of sleep for the growth and development of your body. Whereas if you are an adult or older, 8 hours of sleep is sufficient for your functioning.(Cirelli, C. and Tononi, G., 2008)

Getting the recommended amount of sleep is a healthy habit; although it is not enough, sleep quality also matters. So, see that you get the correct quantity and quality of sleep to lead a healthier lifestyle.