Springing ahead to Daylight Savings time leaves us all inexplicably pooped. It may only be an hour of sleep loss, but it can have lasting effects. It makes sense that March is Sleep Awareness Month, since it is the perfect time to remind ourselves of how essential sleep is to health and wellness. Very few of us–adults and children alike–get enough sleep, causing long-term consequences.
According to the National Sleep Foundation,
Humans, like all animals, need sleep, along with food, water and oxygen, to survive. For humans sleep is a vital indicator of overall health and well-being. We spend up to one-third of our lives asleep, and the overall state of our “ sleep health ” remains an essential question throughout our lifespan.
Most of us know that getting a good night’s sleep is important, but too few of us actually make those eight or so hours between the sheets a priority. For many of us with sleep debt , we’ve forgotten what “being really, truly rested” feels like.
To further complicate matters, stimulants like coffee and energy drinks, alarm clocks, and external lights—including those from electronic devices—interferes with our “ circadian rhythm ” or natural sleep/wake cycle.
Sleep needs vary across ages and are especially impacted by lifestyle and health. To determine how much sleep you need, it’s important to assess not only where you fall on the “sleep needs spectrum,” but also to examine what lifestyle factors are affecting the quality and quantity of your sleep such as work schedules and stress.
Check out the guidelines and recommendations at https://sleepfoundation.org/SAW.