How many hours of sleep do you really need?

Getting a good night’s sleep is important for people of all age, as important as eating healthy or getting exercise.

Experts recommend seven to eight hours of sleep each night as the ideal amount in middle to old age.

Although it is normal for people’s sleep patterns to change over time, these are general recommendations and not strict rules.

Production of melatonin, the sleep hormone can decline and cause slack of sleep.  Another reason is stress and circadian rhythm which regulates bodily functions such as sleep- wake patterns.

In addition to age, other factors can affect the hours of sleep you need like frequent sleep interruption, sleep deprivation history change in hormones levels.

Additionally, many common sleep disorders can negatively affect your sleep quality, such as sleep apnea. If you often feel like you aren’t sleeping well or are extremely tired and don’t know why, it’s a good idea to check in with your healthcare provider.

Sleep is highly misunderstood, even though we sleep almost every night of our lives.

Sleep quality is important to our overall health, not prioritizing sleep has notable health consequences. Research indicates that many people with poor sleep quality are a higher risk of diseases like diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.

While too little or too much sleep is linked to cognitive performance and mental health like anxiety and depression, poor sleep can also increase daytime fatigue and make it difficult to live a healthy life.

A good quality sleep improves the brains and ability to function at optimum level and adopt to inputs. It facilitates better learning, better memories accurately among others. Here is a healthy sleep checklist to help with quality sleep.

Follow a regular routine

Having a schedule helps in setting a healthy sleep pattern; go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Following an irregular sleep schedule has been linked to poor sleep quality and duration.

Create a relaxing bedtime routine

Creating a relaxing bedtime routine helps you get in the mood for sleep by signalling your body and mind and readies you for sleep. Avoid working an hour before slumber time. It is also important to avoid talking about stressful and emotional issues in bed or before bedtime.

Reduce caffeine intake before bedtime

Studies have linked caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine use to poorer sleep quality. Try to avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening.

Excessive screen time especially before bedtime has been linked to poor sleep quality, reduce usage of electronics for better sleep.