- When you don’t get enough rest, you not only get tired, but also increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, and obesity.
- Age has a direct relationship to determine the ideal amount of sleep for each person.
- Bad habits in everyday life can lead to sleep problems such as insomnia, narcolepsy, and restless leg syndrome.
Sleep is vital for anyone because it is the basis for rest, although not everyone needs the same daily amount. Aspects such as age make great differences so as not to fall into excess but not into lack either. Both extremes are dangerous because in the end an opposite effect is generated in each individual.
However, when you do not get enough rest there are various health risks. I agree with you US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention According to the CDC, sleep deprivation is associated with the following problems.
- Cardiovascular diseases.
- Depression.
- Diabetes.
- Obesity.
Sleep is vital, yet many people struggle to get enough sleep, or don’t know how many hours of rest they need each night.
How many hours of sleep do we need?
According to experts from Houston Methodist Hospital, age has a lot to do with the amount of sleep we should have daily. These are the recommendations for hours of sleep according to different ages:
- Newborns and up to 3 months: 14-17 hours (including naps).
- Infants 4 to 12 months: 12-16 hours (including naps).
- Young children from 1 to 2 years old: 11-14 hours (including naps).
- Preschool children from 3 to 5 years old: 10-13 hours (including naps).
- School-age children from 6 to 12 years old: 9-12 hours.
- Adolescents from 13 to 18 years old: 8-10 hours.
- Adults from 18 to 60 years old: minimum 7 hours.
- Adults over 61 to 64 years: 7-9 hours.
- Adults over 65 years: 7-8 hours.
Tips to improve your sleep
The daily routine can complicate the sleep routine, as well as stress and hectic lifestyle. Therefore, it is very important to adopt healthy sleeping habits. The National Sleep Foundation of the United States and the experts at Houston Methodist Hospital make the following recommendations:
- Have the same scheduled bedtime every day, both for going to bed and for waking up.
- Exercise daily.
- Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol.
- Restrict the consumption of coffee, sugars, carbohydrates and irritants before bed.
- Avoid naps during the day of more than half an hour.
- Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillow (make sure to replace your mattress every 10 years).
If you constantly struggle with your sleep, despite trying to adopt healthy habits, you could have one of the following underlying medical conditions, such as:
- Insomnia: A sleep disorder that makes it difficult for us to fall asleep, as well as to stay asleep.
- Narcolepsy: A sleep disorder that causes overwhelming daytime sleepiness.
- Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS): A condition that causes an uncontrollable urge to move the legs.
- Sleep Apnea: A sleep disorder in which breathing stops for a few seconds and starts again repeatedly, often resulting in excessive snoring.
In most cases, getting treatment is vital to improving sleep for conditions like these. For example, people who have sleep apnea are often prescribed a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, which uses a hose and mask or nosepiece to continuously deliver air to the body. This increases air pressure in the throat, preventing the airway from collapsing when inhaled.
If you think you have an underlying condition that’s disrupting your sleep, see your doctor for a diagnosis.
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