Sleep Awareness

Why is Sleep So Important? Sleep plays an essential role in keeping us healthy, mentally and physically. Not only does our health depend on sleep, it can also affect our brain and how we learn. Fun Fact: Humans can mostly survive without sleeping for up to 11 days (or 264 hours).

Fun Fact: Kids and teenagers aren’t lazy! How Much Sleep Do I Need? According to studies by the Sleep Foundation, there actually is no magic number on how much sleep we should get each night. However, it is still recommended that adults get 7-9 hours of sleep each night Fun Fact: Kids and teenagers aren’t lazy! Studies have shown that non-adults need 8 to 12 hours of sleep to be functional.

How To Tell If You Aren’t Getting Enough Sleep Increased irritability Loss of concentration Short attention span Increased mistakes Weakened immune system Ongoing sleep deprivation can lead to depression, weight gain and even type II diabetes.

Tips For Better Sleep Make sleep a priority and go to bed at a reasonable time. Deal with work and worries several hours before bed so you have time to wind down. Develop a “sleep routine” before bed each night. This helps your body know it’s time for bed. Try to keep regular sleep hours every day of the week.

Tips For Better Sleep (continued) Create a peaceful, dark and noise free place to rest. Don’t forget to exercise to help relieve stress and tension (however, not too close to bedtime). Avoid stimulants such as caffeine before bed. Don’t smoke (preferably at all) or drink before bed.

Nap Like A Pro Naps aren’t just for children. Naps can help you catch up on sleep and re-energize you more than caffeine. Ideal Nap Time: 20-90 minutes Tip: If you need an extra boost with your nap, drink some coffee before your nap. When you wake up, the caffeine will have made it to your bloodstream and you will have gotten the benefit from the nap too.

Interesting Sleep Facts Up until the 1800’s, many people practiced “segmented sleep”. One would sleep for a few hours; wake up and do something for an hour; then go back to sleep for the rest of the night. Scientists think that this is why so many people wake up in the middle of the night.

Sources unco.edu sleepfoundation.org