[LifeStyle] How many hours of sleep do you need according to your age?

[#Steeven.™]

Sleeping less than 7 hours is associated with adverse health outcomes.

Sleep is essential at any age. Energizes the mind, restores the body, and strengthens every system in the body. How much sleep do you need to get there?

The National Sleep Foundation (United States) is a charity focused on educating about sleep. Their experts advise that healthy adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night.

Babies, children, and teens need even more, because they are developing.

But there is a belief that with advanced age, sleep is drastically reduced, and that older adults stay awake for half the night. A healthy older adult, says the Foundation, sleeps just under 7 to 8 hours a night.

What if sleep is way below that? Then the reflection is oriented towards individual needs: level of physical activity and general state of health, in addition to good sleep hygiene.

How many hours should each age group sleep?
The foundation divides it into nine age groups, below:

                                 Age               Hours of sleep
Newborn      0-3 months       14-17 hours
Infant            4-11 months      12-15 hours
Toddler         1-2 years            11-14 hours
Preschool     3-5 years            10-13 hours
School          6-13 years           9-11 hours
Adolescent  14-17 years           8-10 hours
Young adult 18-25 years           7-9 hours
Adult            16-64 years           7-9 hours
Senior          65 years or older   7-8 hours

 

In each group there is a recommended relative time of hours of sleep at night. In certain cases, sleeping an hour or so in that range may be acceptable, based on the person's circumstances. Acceptable, not optimal.

Some questions to determine the quality of your sleep:

• Are you productive, healthy and happy with the hours you sleep? Or have you noticed that you require more hours to perform to your full potential?
• Do you have coexisting health conditions or are you at high risk for any disease?
• Do you have a high physical wear every day? Do you frequently play sports or do strenuous field work?
• Do your daily activities depend on your alertness to be safe? Do you drive every day and operate heavy machinery? Do you feel sleepy while doing these activities?
• Have you experienced or have a history of trouble sleeping?
• Do you depend on caffeine to sustain you during the day?
• When you have a day off, do you sleep more than on a day from work?

A second opinion
Other health institutions have their own guidelines on the amount of time we should sleep, but they do not differ much from the previous ones. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Society for Sleep Research argue that adults should get 7 hours or more of sleep per night, regularly, for good health. Their arguments:

Sleeping less than 7 hours is associated with adverse health outcomes: weight gain, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart and cerebrovascular disease, depression, and early death.
It is also associated with immune function disorders, pain, poor performance, increased errors, and risk of accidents.
 

Now the opposite:

Sleeping less than 7 hours is associated with adverse health outcomes: weight gain, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart and cerebrovascular disease, depression, and early death.
It is also associated with immune function disorders, pain, poor performance, increased errors, and risk of accidents.
Now the opposite:

Improving your sleep hygiene, on the other hand, is a good investment. Start with the environment where you sleep and the habits before going to bed. Examples:

• Stick to the same sleep schedule every day, even on the weekends.
• Practice a relaxing routine before bed to make it easier to close your eyes early.
• Choose a firm and comfortable mattress and complement it with quality pillows and sheets.
• Minimize possible interruptions caused by light and sound. Optimize temperature and aroma.
• Unplug from electronics like phones and laptops half an hour before bed.
• Monitor your caffeine and alcohol consumption, and avoid them hours before going to sleep.
• Get enough sunlight during the day.
• And if you are a parent, let the routine be for everyone, children and adolescents, each in their recommended sleep times.

 

A quality sleep
Getting enough sleep is part of the goal, but remember that it is not only about hours, but about quality. A fragmented and restless dream will be like not having slept at all. Go back to the sleep hygiene recommendations to avoid this.

If you or someone in your family has symptoms such as daytime sleepiness, chronic snoring, leg cramps, shortness of breath during sleep, chronic insomnia, see your doctor or even a sleep specialist to find out the cause. quality
Getting enough sleep is part of the goal, but remember that it is not only about hours, but about quality. A fragmented and restless dream will be like not having slept at all. Go back to the sleep hygiene recommendations to avoid this.

If you or someone in your family has symptoms like daytime sleepiness, chronic snoring, leg cramps, trouble breathing during sleep, chronic insomnia, see your doctor or even a sleep specialist to find out the cause.

Ciaran McMullan, a physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital and a researcher for the National Sleep Foundation, explains that the way we sleep impacts the kidneys. Getting a good night's sleep and taking melatonin supplements can improve kidney function.

“Kidney function is regulated by the sleep-wake cycle. It helps us coordinate the load on the kidneys for 24 hours, ”says McMullan. "We also know that nighttime patterns can affect people with chronic kidney disease, and that people who sleep less generally have a much faster decline in kidney function."

Good sleep, like good nutrition, is intentional, enjoyable, and energizing. If you can't sleep, don't stay in bed awake, thinking or getting anxious. Wait 20 minutes and then get up and do something relaxing.