Sleep With Me: How Much Do You Really Need?

Photo Credit: Chrisbeatcancer.com

'“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”

Benjamin Franklin was right. You need sleep. Sleep is when your body detoxifies and heals itself.

We've all heard that most people need 6-8 hours of sleep per night, but you may need much more, like 9-10. If you’re getting less than 7 hours, you may be sleep deprived. Not getting enough sleep night after night leads to a “sleep deficit” that keeps growing. And with that sleep deficit comes a gradual degradation of your health. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain, a weak immune system, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

I know a few night owls who always seem to be sick with something. They catch everything that goes around. Sound familiar?'

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11 Surprising Health Benefits Of Sleep

 

'Sleep makes you feel better, but its importance goes way beyond just boosting your mood or banishing under-eye circles. Adequate sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle, and can benefit your heart, weight, mind, and more. 



"Sleep used to be kind of ignored, like parking our car in a garage and picking it up in the morning," says David Rapoport, M.D., director of the NYU Sleep Disorders Program.


Not anymore. Here are some health benefits researchers have discovered about a good night's sleep.'


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Why You Need to Sleep Late To Restore Your Brain Power

'Evidence demonstrates that sleeping in on the weekend is a smart idea after a tough week at work (or anywhere else). I’ve been known to sleep late myself on occasion, but always with a twinge of guilt, since we’re told that it’s better to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day. But juggling my job, kids, household tasks and other requirements all week sometimes leaves me weary and sleep-deprived by Friday afternoon -- and I bet you know exactly how I feel. 

Americans have a sleep debt that makes the national budget deficit look minor, warns Matthew Edlund, MD, MOH, an expert on rest, biological clocks, performance and sleep based in Sarasota, Florida, and author of the new book, The Power of Rest. Sleep is as important to health as food and water, and we should stop feeling guilty for allotting time for our bodies to rest, recharge and regenerate, he said.'

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7 Solutions To Your Sleep Problems

'Make an effort to maintain a consistent pre-bedtime routine. This can include turning off stimulating activities (including electronic gadgets) at least an hour before sleep; utilizing relaxation rituals, such as breath work and progressive relaxation techniques. Keep a regular, reasonable schedule – get to bed as close as possible to the same time every night (ideally by 10:00 p.m.) and wake up at roughly the same reasonable time each morning. Sleep docs actually do call this consistency "good sleep hygiene." Of course, everyone knows that mothers are the best sleep hygienists in the world, but what follows are my best tips that even your mother may not know.'

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Sleepless In Seattle? The Effects Of Sleep Deprivation

'Only in the movies would you end up with Meg Ryan if you truly are Sleepless in Seattle. Never mind that you are Tom Hanks.

'In real life, Tom never gets to make out with Meg because he is sleep deprived.
As a chronic insomniac, Tom would be...

'...Depressed, irritable and angry. When his young son Jonah wants him to call in to a national radio talk show on Christmas Eve, Tom yells at his son. He then stomps off into his bedroom and slams the door, leaving poor Jonah crying. People with insomnia are 10 times more likely to be depressed than people who sleep well.'


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