Sleep is vital to our general well-being, yet it can be elusive. Sleep is a biological necessity essential to health. The importance of good quality and quantity of sleep cannot be overlooked.
Sleep needs and habits tend to change with age. A school-age child needs 9-12 hours of sleep per night; as an adult, you need seven or more hours. Recent research has identified the sweet spot of about seven–eight hours nightly as optimal for better daytime functioning and overall health.
With age, your sleep patterns can shift, falling asleep earlier in the evening and awakening earlier in the morning. Being less physically active, having health or pain issues or bathroom trips also interrupt sleep. You often spend less time in deep restorative sleep.
Tell your doctor about these warning signs of a sleep disorder: excessive daytime sleepiness, problems falling or staying asleep, depression or apathy, increased irritability or difficulty concentrating and memory.
Be very cautious in using sleep aid medications. Discuss the use and dosage with your physician before taking over-the-counter sleep aids as they may interfere with other prescribed medicines. Your specialist may recommend cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, which helps manage negative thoughts that keep you awake while training relaxation techniques.
Sleep apnea is a serious sleep issue when tissues in the back of your throat collapse and block the upper airways. Breathing is interrupted during sleep, reducing oxygen intake. It is common with heart issues and is associated with new hypertension, heart failure, stroke, and atrial fibrillation. Also, excessive snoring, gasping for breath/breathing interruptions, headaches, dry mouth, or sore throat in the morning can indicate sleep apnea which can be detrimental to your health. Your doctor needs to know about these sleep disruptions; seek out help if apnea persists.
After a doctor rules out potential medical conditions that may contribute to sleep problems, there are things you can try yourself to produce more winks.
In the daytime, get exposure to bright light in the morning, minimize caffeine intake after noon, limit naps to 30 minutes earlier in the day, stay active physically but don’t exercise within four hours of bedtime.
In the evening, keep your home dimly lit, and avoid blue lights from phone and personal device screens near bedtime. Go to bed and wake up at the same time, don’t use alcohol as a sleep aid, avoid eating heavy meals later in the day and don’t eat before bedtime, listen to soft music, read a book or take a warm bath before bed, keep your bedroom dark, cool, quiet and comfortable. Leave the room if you cannot fall asleep in 20-30 minutes and quietly read or rest elsewhere.
Your body and brain need to rejuvenate with sleep. There are sleep clinics and specialists who can help when sleep remains elusive. Never fall into the misperception that you do not need to sleep. All health professionals agree it is essential to good health.