We spend a significant part of our lives in sleep. It is estimated that it takes a third or a quarter of a person's years. There were enthusiasts in history who did not want to waste precious time sleeping, but this did not make their life more productive either. Sleep is not only pleasure, because it is vital for us. So how much should a person sleep to be healthy, vigorous and efficient?
How much should a person sleep to get enough sleep
We believe that we have slept if in the morning we feel good, vigorous, that is, sleep has provided physical and mental health. It will fulfill its functions, which are determined by scientific research, if:
- All the vital systems of the body have rested and recovered.
- Immunity has been strengthened.
- Mental and emotional state returned to normal.
- All new information has been revised and consolidated.
Life experience shows how bad sleep is for a person. Some argue that sleep deprivation is harder to tolerate than hunger. This is because sleep affects almost every system in the body. I didn't get enough sleep - you feel that your attention is concentrated worse, you don't remember everything. But irritability appeared, you fall into a stressful state, and if this happens often, then it’s not far from depression.
So how much sleep do you need to live and work normally? This question is related to sleep phase concepts. Each phase consists of a period of slow and REM sleep and lasts from 60 to 90 minutes. If a person is awakened in the middle of the phase, he will not behave quite adequately. This means that the phases must be intact, and for the full value of the rest, they must be slept for at least four, that is, 6-7 hours.
The sleep rate is individual for each person and for people of different ages. If for a baby it is 14-17 hours, then for a healthy person of working age - 7-9 hours. Women, by the way, require an average of 20 minutes of sleep longer, because their brains are more complex, and it needs more time to reboot.
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Healthy human sleep
It is not only the duration of sleep that matters, but also its quality. Continuous sleep is considered good, without occasional awakenings in the middle of the night.
To get a good sleep, you need to prepare for it. For this, experts have developed recommendations for sleep patterns:
- Even short walks in the fresh air before bed are helpful. You can calm down, put in order the thoughts and emotions that have accumulated during the day.
- It is not necessary to continue active mental work at night, it is better to read fiction and escape from problems.
- It is not recommended to eat heavy food shortly before sleep, drink alcoholic or stimulating drinks (strong tea, coffee). Better to eat fruits, vegetables, light sandwich. Drinking herbal tea made from chamomile, mint, or milk with honey is helpful.
- Experts advise to sleep with your head to the north or east. In this position, the directions of the electromagnetic waves of man and the earth's crust will coincide, and the quality of sleep will be better.
- For a healthy sleep, a firm bed and low pillows are better than feather beds. In this case, the body relaxes better, the nerve endings are not pinched, the cerebral circulation improves.
The debate is the question of what time to go to bed. Someone advises to go to bed as early as possible, but for someone this is a sure way to insomnia. But you still need to organize yourself in order to fall asleep no later than 22-23 hours, especially if you get up early for work. And to avoid a sleepless night, some psychologists recommend going to bed not at the same time, but always waking up at a certain hour, regardless of when you fell asleep.
Everyone knows from their own life experience that good sleep is unconditional health. If there are problems with him, then this is evidence of some kind of trouble in the body or in the mental state. Sleeping pills do not solve these problems, but they can worsen them over time. It is better to listen to the recommendations and make your sleep healthy naturally. To do this, you just have to adjust your habits.