Should you really pay attention to the amount of time you spend sleeping. How much time do you really need for your sleep? Sceptics, opinion makers, scientists and well-known celebrities have chipped in on thematter. Such influential and motivational figures argue sleep is not a good companion in the pursuit of your dreams. Some say they only spend four hours of their time sleeping; to the consternation of many.

Experts on the subject have something different to say. Every age of your life has a recommended sleep time. That for your body to function optimally, it needs the required sleep time. While you cannot ignore this fact, you also need to understand that many are not sleeping enough because of sleeping disorders. So, the amount of time you spend sleeping is paramount to your overall health.

Whether you should make sleep a priority in life is up to you. Choices in life have consequences whether good or bad. You do not want to be on the latter option. Again, you may really want to follow a defined sleep pattern ideal for your body. Unfortunately for you, life demands such as work, your family or business leave with you with few choices regarding your sleep pattern.

 What’s the recommended sleep time for different ages?

Sleep needs vary according to age. You don’t expect a 60-year-old to sleep like a toddler. Millions of Americansrely on expert information provided by the National Sleep Foundation. In the recent past, after a rigorous scientific fact-finding, the foundation published a sleep chart that varies with one’s age.

According to the chart, infants and toddlers require more sleep. However, as you age, your sleep hours reduce.

• Newborns (0-3 months)-14-17 hours
• Infants(4-11 months) – 12-15 hours
• Toddlers (1-2 years)– 11-14 hours
• Preschoolers (3-5 years)– 10-13 hours
• School-age kids(6-13 years) – 9-11 hours
• Teenagers(14-17 years) – 8-10 hours
• Younger adults (18-25 years) – 7-9 hours
• Adults (26-64 years) – 7-9 hours
• Older adults (65+) -7-8 hours

Despite such precise sleep hours, millions still struggle to get a quality night sleep. It is estimated that up to 70 million Americans struggle with sleeping disorders. Lifestyle habits, psychological factors, medical conditions are some to mention a few.

Diet and sleep

Dieting also plays a role in determining your sleep health. Some foods are recommended before sleep time while are others are not. For instance, researchers have pointed to an interesting correlation between apples and sleep. Few hours before bedtime, apple, they say has an outstanding effect on your sleep pattern.

One other plant recommended for the provision of sleep is the cannabis; known as Marijuana in some quarters. However, it is yet to be fully approved as a sleep catalyst by many. A comprehensive study has not yet been done on the plant owing to its legal status. Studies done in the past show the Cannabis plant to be a sleep inducer. Though for Cannabis, its effects on sleep are not very profound as it only reduces the time it takes for one to get sleepy.

Cannabis has two main compounds, the Cannabidiol (CBD) and the tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC).  While CBD is non-psychoactive.THC is psychoactive. A psychoactive component that is associated with THC causes the user to feel high. CBD does not make a user feel high. Many studies have focused on CBD since it’s the compound in Cannabis that is sleep related.

CBD Flower has been used in the past as a medicinal plant to treat patients with sleeping disorders. Most patients treated reported progress in their sleeping patterns. Most patients treated suffered from a post-traumatic stress disorder. Though Cannabis has proven to be medicinal, questions still linger on its long-term effect on the body. If a user gets used to Cannabis effect as a sleep inducer, what happens in the event that they lack the plant? The absence effect could be detrimental to their overall health.

Is maintaining your recommended age and sleep requirement achievable?

According to the National Sleep Foundation, each age has some recommended sleep hours. For school-age kids and the younger ages, more hours of sleep are recommended. While this may not be a problem for the younger ages, teenagers, young adults and adults may find this a challenge. The obvious reason is that age comes with responsibility; many adults have to cope with the demanding pressures of work- life balance.  Consequently, this interferes with their sleeping time. Adults may find achieving their recommended hours of sleep even more difficult if they suffer from other sleeping disorders.

Not all teenagers can escape the sleeping problem loop. The teenage years are characterized by hyperactivity, adolescence and trying to discover oneself. Their age characteristics may pose a big problem for them making them restless during sleep hours. Add to this the addiction to social media and you know you have a big problem here.

That said, not all is lost to teenagers and adults. Researchers and sleep scientists recommend some healthy habits that will aid in your sleep patterns. This includes having a comfortable mattress to sleep on, avoiding alcohol and caffeinated drinks before bedtime, turning out lights in your bedroom during sleep hours, having a daily exercise routine, ensuring the temperature, sound and light in your room is ideal for sleep. This list is not exhaustive as there are other factors which affect sleep. These factors boil down to your personal lifestyle habits.

Final thoughts

Humans who sleep 7 to 8 hours in a day have a higher work performance compared to humans who sleep for fewer hours. Such statistics show how important sleep is to your life. You need to place a lot of fuss around your sleep duration. It determines the course of your life and health over time. Face the pertinent sleep issues affecting your health and work towards solving them. Thanks to research Americans can now rely on the National Sleep Foundation to help them with their sleep dairy. Good sleep is equal to good health which is needed to make and enjoy your wealth.

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us