How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?
Studies have shown that the average adult requires somewhere between 8 and 8 1/2 hours of sleep to awaken refreshed, alert, and ready for the new day. However, individual needs vary. Some may feel renewed with only 5 to 6 hours of sleep, and another may require 10 hours. Chances are, if you are not feeling fatigued and sleepy during the day, and you are performing your normal activities without difficulty, you are getting enough sleep.
Don't Confuse Insomnia With Poor Sleep Habits!
The cause of your sleeplessness may actually be rooted in bad habits rather than bad health. A serious study of your bedtime behavior and a few simple changes may be what is needed to secure restful sleep. See the Helpful Tips for a Restful Night for tips designed to help you develop good sleeping habits.
What if You Give All Our Sleep Tips an Honest Effort and You Still Can't Sleep?
Insomnia is considered chronic when it takes longer than 30 minutes for you to fall asleep, sleep is restless and disturbed, a person remains awake for longer than 30 minutes after a nighttime awakening, or a person has difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep on a regular basis for 2 months or longer. If you fit this definition of chronic insomnia, discuss this with your doctor. Chronic insomnia can be a symptom of a disease or disorder that requires medical attention. Once the underlying problem is corrected, the insomnia should also resolve. If you fit the definition of chronic insomnia, and you have no underlying health condition as a cause, your doctor may refer you to a sleep disorder specialist or clinic to see if you have a true sleep disorder.
The Good News Is, Very Few People Who Think They Have Insomnia Actually Do.
The cause of their sleeplessness is the result of bad sleep habits. If you are serious about improving the quality of your sleep, you must make a real commitment to change. Also, keep in mind that everyone will have a restless night from time to time.
What Does Not Work to Induce Sleep
One thing that does not work to induce sleep is the use of sleeping medications for longer than 2 to 3 weeks. Research indicates that using sleeping medications longer than this recommended time limit actually increases the likelihood of sleeplessness.
Risk Factors for Insomnia
Risk factors that worsen insomnia include smoking, consuming more than two alcoholic drinks daily, failure to actively exercise our minds and bodies, eating the standard American diet (high fat, low fiber), napping during the daytime, drinking coffee past 5pm, failing to get up at the same time every day, and being anxious and depressed. Not only can these unhealthful habits worsen insomnia, they can also cause it.
Remember:
The true measure of your sleep is whether or not you function normally, without sleepiness, during the day, not the number of hours you sleep.
Helpful Tips for a Restful Night
- Reserve the bedroom for sleep and sex only. Reading or watching TV while in bed disrupts the association of the bedroom with sleep.
- If you cannot fall asleep after 15 minutes, get out of bed, move to a comfortable spot, and wait until you feel like you can fall asleep before trying again. Do something quiet, boring, and monotonous until you are sleepy again. This is NOT the time to watch an exciting TV show or read a suspenseful book. You might listen to a relaxation tape, listen to quiet soothing music, or work a crossword puzzle.
- Turn your clock to the wall to resist the temptation to check the time. It will only increase your anxiety about not sleeping.
- Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine for 3 to 4 hours before bedtime. Also avoid medications containing antihistamines, bronchodilators, corticosteroids, stimulating antidepressants, beta-blockers, decongestants, and thyroid hormones for several hours before bedtime.
- Keep fit and exercise daily. But avoid exercise for 3 to 6 hours before sleep. Why? Because exercise raises your body temperature for several hours after completion. This elevation of body temperature makes sleep more difficult because your best sleep occurs when your body temperature is at its lowest level of the day. However, 3 to 6 hours after exercising, your body temperature drops, causing sleepiness and preparing the way for a more restful night.
- Eat a light snack of a carbohydrate such as juice and cookies about 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime. Or try a food rich in L-tryptophan (an amino acid) such as turkey, cheese, bananas, warm milk, eggs, cottage cheese, or cashew nuts. Avoid eating a heavy meal, rich in protein and fats, or spicy foods, within 4 to 6 hours of bedtime.
- Adjust the temperature of your bedroom so you will not become chilled or too warm while sleeping. Darken the room as necessary or wear an eye mask if you are disturbed by light. Adjust the noise level by turning off the ringer on your phone and/or any noisy appliances. If you do not have a quiet room, turn on a fan to create "white noise" (a repetitive sound that masks other sounds), or use a sleep machine designed to create repetitive, restful noise such as the sound of waves or a quiet waterfall. Make sure your bed is comfortable and wear non-binding clothing for sleeping.
- Take a warm bath or shower about an hour before bedtime. Stay in the tub about 20 minutes, keeping the water warm. Use bath salt or oil. Create a calming atmosphere by using soft lights and/or soft music. The warm bath will cause a brief rise in body temperature, but when your body begins to cool, you may feel sleepy.
- Do some gentle stretching exercises. This will help release tension by stretching and relaxing muscles. Avoid bouncing movements. Don't try to force any position, just do what feels comfortable. Yoga positions are a good example of the kind of stretching that will aid sleep.
- Don't take naps during the day!
These tips should work to help restore normal, restful sleep if you are committed to trying them for at least three weeks.
