You’ve decided to eat better, loading up on the fruit and vegetables. You’re exercising daily, vigorously for at least 20 minutes at a time. Both of these endeavors should help you feel better and be healthier, but what about sleep?
Are you getting to bed on time and resting throughout the night. Hopefully, the answer to this question is, yes. If not, you may be disheartened to learn that one of the leading indicators of how long a person will live is how much sleep he gets.
More than half of American workers fail to get an adequate amount of sleep. If you doubt this statement, there is plenty of data accumulated from research and surveys to back it up. Just take a look online or do some reading in the library. Actually, data suggests that as a society we have seen a reduction in what is considered average or standard hours of sleep per night.
This may not seem like a pressing issue; then again, maybe it is. Remember, sleep is a determining factor in not only how long we may live, but what quality of existence we will have. If you fall 30 minutes short of your needed amount of sleep every night for a week it can have negative effects such as unhealthy weight gain, weakening of the immune system, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and of course a decrease in mental aptitude and cognitive function.
As a guide, children six to 12 years of age need 10 to 11 hours of sleep a night. Teenagers will require slightly less, 10 to 11 hours per night. Seven to eight hours a night is about right for adults. And, yes, there is a difference between night time sleep and slumbering doing the day. Sleeping at night allows the body to restore melatonin naturally.
Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland, which is only active doing the night time hours. This explains what third –shift workers have known for so long. Sleeping during the day is not the same as sleeping at night.
Occasional insomnia may seem of minimal importance, but the truth is that the side affects of insomnia can be life threatening. So in conclusion, to experience a longer and better quality of life, eat right, exercise and sleep.