How many hours of sleep do you get every night? How many hours of sleep do you think you should get every night? While the exact number can vary between individuals and can change with age, the CDC recommends that adults get between 7-8 hours a night. Getting the appropriate amount of sleep each night can have a large impact on both your cognitive and physical health.
While you are asleep your brain doesn’t just ‘turn off’, it’s actually hard at work. As your body is resting, your brain is making connections to help you learn and remember new information. If you are sleep deprived, you may feel more emotional, have a tougher time thinking critically, have issues with decision-making, and have a tougher time paying attention. All of these can have a negative impact on your daily life.
Your sleep status can also influence your physical health. Sleeping is when your body is able to rest and repair itself. Several hormones fluctuate based on a circadian rhythm (your internal 24 hour clock) and the sleep-wake cycle is an important part of that. Growth hormone is released during sleep in kids and young adults allowing for proper growth and development, cortisol (a stress hormone) declines during sleep and peaks just prior to waking, and sleep loss can influence your insulin sensitivity. It should come as no surprise then, that sleep deprivation can be tied to the risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and obesity.
Now that you know some of the reasons why getting enough sleep each night is so important, here are a couple of Mayo Clinic-approved tips. They suggest you stick to a sleep schedule for consistency, be careful of how much you eat before bed and also what you eat, get into a bedtime routine so your body knows its time to sleep, make sure you’re comfortable, try not to nap too much during the day, manage your stress levels, and include some form of physical activity during the day.