Sleep is one of those things that can easily be taken for granted – it isn’t appreciated until you find that you cannot get enough of it. We expect that we will go to bed and we will sleep.
Just how much sleep is healthy? Surprisingly enough this will vary from person to person depending largely on age and lifestyle. Although some will argue the point, it seems that the older a person gets the less sleep they need.
Required sleep ranges from six to nine hours - with most people needing about eight hours of sleep per night in order to function at full capacity. You may know some elderly folks that are up early everyday. Teens on the other hand seem to require more sleep than the typical adult. However, they have an ability to stay up late at night.
Lifestyle will impact on the sleep needed by the average person. If you live a sedentary lifestyle it is likely that you will not need as much sleep as an active person. Working night shift can have a great impact on a sleeping pattern. Sleep may routinely be erratic and the person may exist on less sleep than the average person.
A regular bedtime with a bedtime ritual can be helpful in establishing better sleep patterns. Keeping the bedroom cool, dark and quiet will help to promote sleep.
A healthy diet and regular exercise will help one to relax and also to decrease mental stress, all of which can aid in a better night’s sleep. If you have interrupted sleep or difficulty falling to sleep long naps should be avoided.
Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by difficulty sleeping. Some people cannot seem to fall asleep and others have difficulty staying asleep.
In most cases snoring is not harmful but it can be a symptom of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is characterized by pauses of breathing during the sleep. There is often an association with hypertension.
