The Importance of Sleep: A Path to Wellness

Sleep is the new luxury we love and need to survive in our fast-paced world, yet we seldom get it. Busy schedules, work pressures, kids’ needs, anxiety and the endless context of technology all intrude on the ability to get a good night’s sleep. But enough good-quality sleep is crucial for health. Sleep is essential in controlling weight, mood, blood pressure, diabetes risk, and mental and physical performance.

Sure, we have all heard about the importance of sleep, but sleep is even more vital for children, who need much more sleep than adults to grow, develop and function properly. Making time for sleep, in turn, can positively affect mental and physical health, leading to higher levels of functioning each day and reducing the risk for long-term problems.

How Does Sleep Work?

In brief, sleep relies on your “body clock”, or circadian rhythm, which significantly contributes to the sensitivity of your body to light (and in particular, the natural light of the sun). As the sun goes down, our brains start releasing a hormone called melatonin that helps us gradually shut down and feel those signals of tiredness so we can recharge for the next day. Sleep gives your body a chance to unwind and better create energy for the following day. It also aids in detoxification, healing, and immunity from harm.

A good quality sleep has lots of health benefits, such as:

• Being more productive and less distracted while engaging in activities throughout the day
• Heart and vital organ function improved
• Better physical fitness, athletic performance and sexual function
• Less pressure on your body’s metabolism
• Better digestion and utilization of nutrients from food
• More significant social and emotional function
• Better mental health, particularly for anxiety and depression
• Strengthened immune system
• Less systemic inflammation

Getting Quality Sleep for Adults

Sleep is most effective when you create a routine to let it work its magic. As most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep at night, it’s vital to pre-plan when these 7-9 hours would occur. Determining your required sleep is essential because everyone has different sleep needs. That may mean experimenting with your sleep schedule or working with a doctor to understand your sleeping patterns to know how much you need.

These days, few people’s schedules lend themselves to obtaining good sleep. The glow of electronic displays we often use late at night stimulates the brain instead of letting it transition into a state of restfulness. Also, plenty of people eat late dinners or do lots of physical or mental work late at night. These behaviors can throw off your body’s natural rhythms and sleep requirements, leaving you feeling more fatigued and compromising your body’s ability to work as designed.

Visiting the SleePare mattress showroom could help you discover the ideal mattress to support your sleep and health.

How Much Sleep Do Children Need?

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends the following number of sleep hours depending on age:

• Newborns: 14-17 hours a day
• Babies: 12-16 hours a day (including naps)
• Toddlers: 11-14 hours a day (including naps)
• Preschoolers: 10-13 hours a day (including naps)
• School-aged children: 9-12 hours each night
• Teenagers: 8-10 hours each night

What Are the Health Risks of Not Getting Enough Sleep?

Not enough sleep, or chronic broken sleep, is associated with seven of the 15 leading causes of death in the U.S. These include:

• Cancerous tumors
• Accidents
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Sepsis
• High blood pressure
• Diseases related to the brain, such as stroke and brain aneurysms

Sleep is tied to everything that functionally usually happens in the brain and body, so sleep deprivation isn’t healthy.

What Are Ways to Get Quality Sleep?

To support better sleep, some of the most impactful things you can do chip away at creating a more restful environment and helping your body’s natural sleep pattern.

• Avoid late-night snacking: Stop eating sugar, caffeine or alcohol before bed — they will interfere with your body’s ability to fall asleep. Snacks high in sugar or caffeine can keep your energy levels up, and alcohol can result in broken sleep, which prevents you from getting as deep and restorative sleep.
• Turn off electronics two hours before bed: The blue light emitted from devices we use to watch movies at home or scroll in bed on our phones and computers can disrupt the body’s production of melatonin. This hormone aids in falling asleep. Having at least two hours of screen-free time helps your brain unwind and prepares your brain for sleepy time.
• Store digital devices outside the bedroom: By keeping phones, tablets and laptops in another room, you remove the temptation to check notifications or scroll through social media in bed, soothing activities that can sabotage your wind-down process. It might be great for relaxation and avoiding distractions.
• Sleep in a dark room: Natural or artificial light can disrupt your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. Darkness is a cue for your brain to know it’s time to sleep, so keep your room as dark as possible to help.
• Use an alarm clock, not your phone: If you use it as an alarm, you may want to pull it out and look at messages or apps before bed, which is a surefire way to derail relaxation. Using an old-fashioned alarm clock keeps your bedroom distraction-free.
• Maintain a cool room temperature: A calm sleeping environment, in the low to mid-60s if possible, helps your body adjust its internal temperature to encourage more restful, comfortable, deep sleep.
• Follow a consistent sleep schedule: Going to bed and waking up simultaneously each day, including weekends, regulates your biological clock. This consistency helps your body learn when it is time for bedtime, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up naturally.

Conclusion

If you struggle to get quality sleep at night, this may be the time to seek professional guidance. Long-term sleep problems might indicate underlying health problems that need to be addressed. Better sleep may mean medication, therapy or mental health treatment for others. A doctor can determine the underlying factor behind botched shut-eye and create a tailored plan for you to execute.

Whether optimizing your bedtime routine, managing anxiety, or treating sleep conditions, providers are dedicated to helping you get the best sleep possible. Quality, restorative sleep is vital for your body and mind to feel your best daily.