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Sleep Through the Ages

Americans are working more and sleeping less. We use caffeine and other stimulants to get us through the day. We’re falling asleep at work and behind the wheel, and we’re too sleepy for sex. How much sleep is enough? The truth is that our sleep requirements change as we get older. Children need the most sleep, adults need an average of eight straight hours, and seniors need one to two hours less. How can we make time in our busy lives to get that sleep? Avoid foods and drinks that can keep you awake, set a bedtime routine, create a comfy sleep environment, turn off the television, and follow a few simple tips that can make it easier for you to fall asleep.

 

Sleep for Life

 

Sleep is a luxury for most American men and women, and sleepiness is a fact of our modern lives. We long for sleep, but we’re up at all hours. Blame it on Thomas Edison. Along came the electric light bulb, and we had daylight 24 hours a day.

 

Now, we also work more— averaging 9.5 hours at work and 4.5 hours of chores each week at home. We trade sleep for relaxing in front of the television, video game, or computer. Coffee and other sources of caffeine get us through the day. Some of us even brag about how little sleep we need. On weekends, we’re “sleep camels,” trying to store up the sleep we’ve missed. None of this is good news for our health.

 

The latest Sleep in America poll released by the National Sleep Foundation demonstrates that working more and sleeping less is taking a toll on us. Of those polled:

• 29% fell asleep or were very sleepy at work in the past month
• 36% have nodded off or fallen asleep while driving
• 20% have sex less often or have lost interest in sex because they’re too sleepy

 

Why do We Sleep?

 

There is no conclusive scientific answer to that question. But we’re naturally wired to be awake in the day and asleep at night. We naturally tend to get sleepy at night when it’s dark and awake and active when it’s light. And there’s no question that we need uninterrupted sleep to function mentally and physically.

 

While we sleep, our bodies are working. Sleep researchers report that during sleep, our blood pressure drops, we repair cells and muscles, regain energy, produce important growth hormones, re-balance our immune systems, reduce stress, consolidate memory and wake refreshed.

When we don’t sleep, we’re miserable— exhausted, cranky, unable to concentrate, depressed, and clumsy enough to suffer serious accidents. We also put ourselves at greater risk of obesity and developing diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

 

How Much Sleep Do We Really Need?

 

Sleep needs vary with age. Children need a lot of sleep, and as we age, we require less sleep. Of course, some people need more sleep than others. So, consider the recommendations that follow to be averages. The best indicator that you’re getting enough sleep is how you feel in the morning. If you wake up feeling rested and ready for the day, you’re probably getting good quality sleep and enough of it.

• Newborns (1-2 months) may sleep 10 ½-18 hours a day, but they sleep in one-to-three hour bursts, and, as exhausted parents know, are not keyed into the light-dark, sleep-wake cycle.
• Infants (3-11 months) need 9-12 hours sleep, including one to four naps. When put to bed drowsy, they are able to sleep through the night
• Toddlers (1-3 years) fight getting the 12-14 hours they need, including one nap. They’d rather be doing things.
• Preschoolers (3-5 years) are up all day and sleep 11-13 hours at night, but fight nightmares and would rather be up with the family, playing, or watching TV.
• School-aged Children (5-12 years) are busy and distracted, and struggle to get their 10-11 hours of sleep.
• Teens (13+) face special problems. They are overscheduled and under new kinds of stress, and their sleep-wake cycle change during adolescence. Their bodies want to stay up late and wake up later, which makes it tough to get 8 ½ to 9 ¼ hours sleep on a school night.
• Adults need around eight straight hours of sleep a night. Few get this much shut-eye. Work, family and a million other distractions often leave them asleep on their feet.
• Older adults need about one to two hours less sleep during the night than middle-aged adults. A change in circadian rhythms causes them to fall asleep earlier and wake up earlier.

 

How Can We Get More Sleep?

 

It’s hard to walk out of work when you’re on a deadline or to say no to time with family and friends, but you do need to improve the quality of your sleep. Here are some tips.

 

• Avoid caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. They will keep you up at night.
• Eat light. Digesting a heavy meal keeps your body working and can cause heartburn.
• Exercise. It reduces stress and helps your body to relax. Afternoon and early evening exercise is best.
• Drink less water at night. That will save you those midnight trips to the toilet.
• Don’t work in bed. You’ll be too wired to fall asleep.
• No TV. And no radio, computer, and video games either. They don't relax you; they stimulate you.
• Stop worrying. If there’s a lot on your mind, write it down— including all the things you have to do tomorrow.
• Get into a bedtime routine. Wash up, brush your teeth, get into your PJs, and do it at the same time every night. Then wake up at the same time every morning.
• Create a sleep-friendly space. Keep your bedroom dark, cool, quiet and clutter-free.
• Get a good mattress and pillow. This is a must. A lumpy, old mattress isn’t conducive to sleep— and neither is an old pillow.
• De-stress. Try visualization, progressive muscle relaxation, and deep breathing to soothe yourself to sleep.
• Go to bed when you’re tired. Not after you fall asleep on the couch!
• If all else fails, see your doctor. Snoring, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders and other sleep problems can be treated.

Next Physiology Article: Eight Straight : The Key to Good Health

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