You Don't Need Too Much Sleep?
Some people seem to need more sleep than others. If you sleep for too short of a time and feel like you are alert, that could show as much a signal that there is a health issue as when you need much more sleep time than eight hours. There is a lot of research going on today about sleep and how it affects our functioning, our alertness and our mental health.
What is it that makes some need only a few hours sleep? According to Melinda Beck, writing for the Wall Street Journal, people who need less sleep, or "short sleepers", can get through the day with less sleep, while maintaining energy and high moods. They enjoy the extra time they have during the day to get things done. It comes naturally to them and they enjoy the time they have to relax and take advantage of getting more things done.
Short sleepers are only one to three percent of the population. They get less than six hours of sleep a night, yet go through the day with energy. Some researchers think this begins in childhood. There might a gene involved in short sleepers as it runs in families. While there are no tests to measure this, short sleepers do not tend to go to sleep centers for sleep tests, therefore it is hard to study this pattern.
One third of Americans get too little sleep and this leads to diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. Just wanting to sleep fewer hours is not enough. It has to come naturally. With further research, we might able to understand this short sleeper phenomenon and be able to regulate how much sleep we need.
While short sleepers often consider it a benefit to not sleep, others are tired despite the fact that they are not able to sleep any more. There are the other side of the range where people need much more than eight hours of sleep or they have an issue staying asleep during the night.
It takes an average well rested person about 10-15 minutes to fall asleep. If you sleep as soon as your head hits the pillow, you are probably sleep deprived. Ideally everyone should get eight hours or so a night. If you already get that much and you are still tired, it is important to see your doctor to rule out sleep-onset conditions, such as sleep apnea.
If you fall asleep, but have trouble staying asleep, you may have depression or anxiety or it could be a symptom of sleep apnea. People who drink alcohol can wake up during the night, despite the fact that they may have had a drink to help them relax to sleep better. Alcohol will not result in quality sleep.
During these busy, high paced and often stressful times, there are many reasons why we might get the wrong amount of sleep for our body. It is easy just to say that is what your body likes or needs. In reality, it might be signaling that you need to change your pattern, diet or check to see that you do not have a sleep related illness.
What is it that makes some need only a few hours sleep? According to Melinda Beck, writing for the Wall Street Journal, people who need less sleep, or "short sleepers", can get through the day with less sleep, while maintaining energy and high moods. They enjoy the extra time they have during the day to get things done. It comes naturally to them and they enjoy the time they have to relax and take advantage of getting more things done.
Short sleepers are only one to three percent of the population. They get less than six hours of sleep a night, yet go through the day with energy. Some researchers think this begins in childhood. There might a gene involved in short sleepers as it runs in families. While there are no tests to measure this, short sleepers do not tend to go to sleep centers for sleep tests, therefore it is hard to study this pattern.
One third of Americans get too little sleep and this leads to diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. Just wanting to sleep fewer hours is not enough. It has to come naturally. With further research, we might able to understand this short sleeper phenomenon and be able to regulate how much sleep we need.
While short sleepers often consider it a benefit to not sleep, others are tired despite the fact that they are not able to sleep any more. There are the other side of the range where people need much more than eight hours of sleep or they have an issue staying asleep during the night.
It takes an average well rested person about 10-15 minutes to fall asleep. If you sleep as soon as your head hits the pillow, you are probably sleep deprived. Ideally everyone should get eight hours or so a night. If you already get that much and you are still tired, it is important to see your doctor to rule out sleep-onset conditions, such as sleep apnea.
If you fall asleep, but have trouble staying asleep, you may have depression or anxiety or it could be a symptom of sleep apnea. People who drink alcohol can wake up during the night, despite the fact that they may have had a drink to help them relax to sleep better. Alcohol will not result in quality sleep.
During these busy, high paced and often stressful times, there are many reasons why we might get the wrong amount of sleep for our body. It is easy just to say that is what your body likes or needs. In reality, it might be signaling that you need to change your pattern, diet or check to see that you do not have a sleep related illness.
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