If you’ve been caught sneaking a nap at your desk, been petitioning for the addition of nap-pods at the workplace, or just been grumpy at work after a sleepless night, keep reading because this week, we’re looking at what constitutes as ‘good’ sleep, how to get good quality sleep, and most importantly, the benefits of taking a nap!
So how much sleep?
The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours of sleep for the average adult (26-64 years old). This range can be decreased to six hours of sleep per night or increased to 10 hours of sleep per night depending on the individual. Anything less than approximately six hours and anything over 10 hours is not recommended.
For younger adults, between 18-25 years old, the sleep recommendation is the same, but an additional hour of sleep is acceptable.
Teenagers are recommended to sleep 8-10 hours, plus or minus one hour, and school-aged children are recommended 9-11 hours of sleep, also plus or minus one hour.
Recommendations of sleep for other age groups are available on The National Sleep Foundation website.
Are we getting good sleep?
A healthy sleep pattern consists of:
- Being able to fall asleep within 15-20 minutes of getting into bed
- Getting the recommended hours of sleep in each day
- Getting continuous sleep without periods of unwanted wakefulness
- Waking up feeling refreshed and alert
- Being able to be productive and remain alert throughout the day
How do we improve the quality of our sleep?
- Diet! Eating well and maintaining a healthy weight contributes to our quality of sleep
- Exercise. Regularly exercising keeps our bodies fit and also tires us out enough so when its time for bed, we’re able to fall asleep easily
- Exposure to light. Our bodies regulate ‘sleep hormones’ based on our exposure to light. When it begins to darken, our sleep hormones begin to release. This is why it is important to put our computers, phones, and tablets away at least an hour before we need to sleep and also limit our exposure to television. The light tricks our bodies into thinking its daytime and makes it difficult to fall asleep.
- Bedtime ritual/schedule. Having a set schedule for bedtime and incorporating a ritual before bedtime is an excellent way to ease our bodies into ‘sleep mode’. Taking a warm shower, drinking non-caffeinated tea, reading a book, or dimming the lights in the room before bedtime.
- Caffeine/nicotine/alcohol. Limit your consumption of caffeinated drinks, nicotine, and alcohol as they impact the ability to fall asleep as well as sleep quality. Caffeinated drinks should be consumed before 3pm as not to impact sleep.
The case for Naps.
Naps can make us feel refreshed and energized at any given time. Naps are also proven to benefit us by boosting our creativity, productivity, and mood. Lets take a more in-depth look at the case for naps.
Napping improves:
- Learning and memory – A study in 2008 on MRI scans showed that individuals who take daytime naps have increased brain activity compared to those who don’t nap. Additionally, mental fatigue improves after a 60-90 minute nap.
- Creativity – Boots in creativity and efficiency in solving creative problems are linked with consist napping which took the sleeper into deep REM sleep
- Alertness – Quick 10 or 20 minute naps provide boosts of alertness
- Mood – Napping gets rid of crankiness that may come from feeling sleepy in adults and children alike
- Productivity – Naps improve efficiency and productivity, especially at work
- Stress management – The National Sleep Foundation calls napping a “mini-vacation”. This is not limited to sleep; simply resting in bed has a similar effect on stress management.
Sources:
http://psychcentral.com/lib/9-tips-for-a-good-nights-sleep/
https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-news/what-healthy-sleep
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/11/nap-benefits-national-napping-day_n_2830952.html
https://sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need
