Sleeping too long can be just as problematic as sleep deprivation, according to a recent report from the Harvard-based Nurses’ Health Study. The key is not getting too much or too little sleep, but just the right amount. Adequate sleep, along with a healthy diet, regular exercise, and maintaining a California health insurance policy that enables you to see a doctor regularly are all part of a healthy lifestyle.
How Much Sleep Is the Right Amount?
An average of seven hours per night is ideal, said the Harvard-affiliated researchers. More than nine or ten hours can have a negative effect, as those who sleep more than that often have poor sleep quality. The hours of quality sleep a person gets is especially important.
What’s the big deal about not getting enough sleep? Sleep deprivation has far-reaching consequences—grogginess is just the tip of the iceberg. Poor sleep has been linked to higher risks of high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, depression, and stroke, as shown in previous studies. And, as most people who have ever been sleep deprived will attest, our cognitive (thinking) abilities and memory are just not as sharp after a night of little or no sleep.
Tips for Getting Better Sleep
Now that it’s clear how lack of sleep can negatively affect our health, let’s look at some tips for getting better sleep (the operative word here is better, since quality of sleep is so important):
- Don’t watch TV before bed, as the light from the bright screen can have an arousing effect.
- Make sure your bedroom is quiet and dark, and consider using earplugs and/or sleep mask, if needed.
- Restrict daytime naps to 15-30 minutes, at the most, to avoid interference with your nighttime sleep schedule.
- Don’t drink alcohol after dinner (or at all). Even though alcohol has a sedative effect, this is generally short-lived, and alcohol can interfere with sleep.
- Don’t consume caffeine after 2 p.m., and limit your consumption.
- If you’re unable to sleep, avoid turning on the TV. Instead, go into another room to watch TV or to read, and get back into bed when you feel sleepy.
- Get daily exercise—at least 30 to 40 minutes of moderate activity is ideal. Try to exercise earlier in the day to avoid staying “wound up” into the night.
- Visit your doctor if you believe you have a health condition that may be interfering with your sleep.
Most importantly, make time for adequate sleep. In today’s busy world many of us feel that there are simply too many things to do and too few hours in the day. But we’re not doing ourselves any favors by cutting back on sleep. In fact, we may actually be doing damage to our health—especially those who are chronically sleep deprived.
By following these tips, you’re more likely to get a solid seven to eight hours of sleep a night, and your body and mind will thank you!