How To Know How Much Sleep You Need

It is a known fact that all living creatures, big and small, undergo a diurnal cycle of being awake for a period and going to sleep for the subsequent period. As human beings the cycle of being awake and sleeping that we follow runs parallel with the pattern of day and night. Most consider eight hours of sleep a very good pattern for overall fitness and health, but is it not necessarily applicable to each and every individual. Some people need less sleep, while others may need more than eight hours. Sleep is a state regulated by the circadian biological clock in the brain which is influenced by light. More light means you are awake and when it is dark the brain will induce sleep. This body clock is also responsible for several body functions which occur at suitable intervals to keep us ticking. This 24-hour process where you alternate between wakefulness and sleep helps in keeping us active and in good health. Depriving yourself of sleep, or too much sleep at the other extreme are both equally harmful and dangerous for human in the long run.

How much sleep is good?

The duration of sleep required varies from individual to individual and also depends on what stage of life that individual is at. As mentioned before some people may need more than eight hours of sleep while others can make do with less. Also babies and small children need more sleep time, the need for more sleep progressively decreases as we grow older.

1. Be regular - It is preferable that you go to sleep and awake in the morning at the same time every day. The body and your brain recognize and get accustomed to a regular pattern and timing of sleep and adjust their functioning accordingly. If you constantly keep shifting the time you go to sleep or rise, the body gets confused and this leads to problems since body functions are disturbed.
2. Too much of a good thing - Short naps, especially during the afternoon when your body clock is at its lowest level of performance, are good. But napping frequently during the day or taking an afternoon nap which is more than 15-20 minutes, will result in your staying awake well past your sleep time at night and play havoc with your system.
3. Recognize the pattern - If you frequently feel drowsy or lethargic during the day, it means that you are not getting enough sleep. Keep track of the time you go to sleep and wake up, you'll find that on most days when you stay up late, you end up feeling tired and lethargic the next day.
4. Get help - If you find that your sleep is continually disturbed, or you continue to feel tired in spite of having slept for a long time, you may have a sleep disorder. It is best to seek professional medical help for maladies such as insomnia, snoring, extreme drowsiness during the day etc.
5. Things to avoid - Stay away from smoking, drinking alcohol, caffeine- rich food and drink, sugar and medicines which impact your sleep. These will keep you awake for much longer and lessen the time you spend sleeping.

Learn and know the benefits and importance of sleeping. Lack of adequate sleep mars the smooth functioning of our body systems and in the long run can become the root cause for several illnesses or sickness. Remember that old saying - "early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise". How true!!