Sleep provides many benefits, according to Dr. Kenneth Berge of the Mayo Clinic. It boosts immune functioning, improves concentration and memory, keeps you alert and enhances physical performance. The amount of sleep you need varies by age, where infants need more than 16 hours a day, preschoolers need 11, teenagers need nine and adults need seven to eight. By adhering to a healthy sleeping schedule, you can assure that you are getting enough sleep.
Set a Schedule
As you are able, plan to head to bed and wake at the same hour. This will fine-tune your biological clock, also known as your circadian rhythm, which is responsible for regulating hormones related to your hunger, alertness and sleep.
Exercise Daily
Stay physically active during the day. The American Sleep Association (ASA) recommends exercising at least five to six hours before sleeping. In fact, 20 to 30 minutes of daily exercise can improve your health, including the ease at which you fall asleep at night.
Catch Up on Lost Sleep
A "sleep debt" occurs when you miss out on your needed hours of sleep. The body will not recover from a four-hour night without sleeping extra during the nights that follow. It may even cause you to dream more as you catch up on sleep, what experts refer to as "REM rebound," and this will leave you feeling evermore tired the following days. Therefore, if you know you have slept fewer hours than usual, find the time to repay your sleep debt. Otherwise you will impair your reaction speed, judgment and other cognitive functions.
Deprive Yourself of Extra Sleep
Too much sleep is just as bad as too little, according to a 2007 study published in the journal, "Sleep". Researchers documented individuals over a 12- and 17-year period and found that less than seven hours of sleep on average increased the risk of cardiovascular-related death while more than seven hours of sleep increased the risk of non-cardiovascular-related death. Thus, minimize how much you oversleep as you attempt to get enough sleep.
Also, the ASA says if you have a hard time sleeping, get out of bed and do something active. That is, if you find yourself having a hard time sleeping because perhaps you have slept too much during the previous nights, depriving yourself of sleep will cause you to feel more tired, making it easier to fall asleep the next time you try.
Create a Sleep-Inducing Environment
Dim lights will ease you into sleep as will soft, comfortable blankets and pillows. The ASA says extreme temperatures, on the other hand, may interrupt your sleep, so set your room to a setting most pleasing to you.
Also, take a shower and engage in calming activities like reading a book or listening to soothing music, which the Mayo Clinic recommends will help you relax. The more you associate your bedroom with sleep, the more likely you will be able to fall asleep and achieve enough high-quality sleep.
