how much sleep do we really need

Not only does Ellen need to convince her family that getting the right amount of sleep is im portant, but she also needs to figure out how m uch sleep they really need!. What the Researc

How Much Sleep Do We Really Need?

Ellen Caroll has often asked hers elf this exact question – especially when it comes to

helping her family m embers get the am ount of sleep they need With a son in preschool and

a daughter in high school, a husband who works over 50 hours a week and aging parents, one with Parkinson's dis ease, Ellen's family runs the gamut when it comes to age and sleep needs Because all of Ellen's family m embers have busy schedules, they often forget to put their sleep needs ahead of their other priorities Not only does Ellen need to convince her family that getting the right amount of sleep is im portant, but she also needs to figure out how m uch sleep they really need!

If you're like Ellen and her family, you're probably als o confus ed about how to know when

"enough is enough" in regards to your sleep While news media and health organizations are regularly saying to get more sleep, it might be unclear to you how m any hours of sleep you should be getting and how to tell if you are adequately rested Keep reading and we’ll explore how you can make educ ated decisions about your sleep and that of your family members'

What the Research Says About Sleep Duration

The first thing experts will tell you about sleep is that there is no "m agic number." Not only

do different age groups need different am ounts of sleep, but sleep needs are also individual

Just like any other characteristics you are born with, the amount of s leep you need to

function best m ay be different for you than for someone who is of the same age and gender While you may be at your abs olute best sleeping seven hours a night, someone else m ay clearly need nine hours to have a happy, productive life In fact, a 2005 study confirmed the fact that sleep needs vary across populations, and the study calls for further research to identify traits within genes that may provide a "map" to explain how sleep needs differ

among individuals

Another reason there is "no magic number" for your sleep results from two different factors

that researchers are learning about: a person’s basal sleep need – the amount of sleep our

bodies need on a regular basis for optimal performance – and sleep debt, the accumulated

sleep that is lost to poor sleep habits, sickness, awakenings due to environmental factors or other causes Two studies suggest that healthy adults have a basal sleep need of seven to eight hours every night, but where things get com plic ated is the interaction between the basal need and sleep debt For instance, you m ight m eet your basal sleep need on any single night or a few nights in a row, but still have an unresolved sleep debt that m ay m ake

you feel more sleepy and less alert at times, partic ularly in conjunction with circadian dips,

thos e tim es in the 24-hour cycle when we are biologic ally programmed to be more sleepy and less alert, such as overnight hours and mid-afternoon You m ay feel overwhelmingly sleepy quite suddenly at these tim es, shortly before bedtim e or feel sleepy upon awakening The good news is that s ome research suggests that the accumulated sleep debt c an be worked down or "paid off."

Though scientists are still learning about the conc ept of basal sleep need, one thing sleep researc h certainly has s hown is that sleeping too little can not only inhibit your productivity and ability to remem ber and c onsolidate information, but lac k of sleep can also lead to serious health consequences and jeopardiz e your safety and the safety of individuals

around you

For example, short sleep duration is linked with:

 Increased risk of motor vehic le accidents

 Increase in body mass index – a greater likelihood of obesity due to an increased appetite caused by sleep deprivation

 Increased risk of diabetes and heart problems

 Increased risk for ps ychiatric conditions including depression and substance abuse

 Decreas ed ability to pay attention, react to signals or rem ember new information

According to researchers Michael H Bonnet and Donna L Arand, "There is strong evidenc e that sufficient shortening or disturbance of the sleep process compromises mood,

performance and alertness and can result in injury or death In this light, the most comm on-sense 'do no injury' medical advice would be to avoid sleep deprivation."

On the other hand, som e researc h has found that long sleep durations (nine hours or more)

are als o associated with increased morbidity (illness, accidents) and mortality (death) Researc hers describe this relationship as a "U-shaped" curve (see illustration) where both sleeping too little and sleeping too m uch may put you at risk This res earch found that variables such as low socioec onomic status and depression were significantly associated with long sleep Some researchers argue that these other variables might be the c ause of the longer s leep: the fact that individuals with low socioeconom ic status are m ore likely to have undiagnosed illnesses because of poor medical care explains the relationship

between low socioeconomic status, long sleep and morbidity/m ortality Res earchers caution that there is not a definitive conclusion that getting more than nine hours of sleep per night

is consistently linked with health problems and/or mortality in adults, while short sleep has been linked to both these cons equences in numerous studies

"Currently, there is no strong evidence that sleeping too much has detrimental health

consequences, or even evidence that our bodies will allow us to sleep much beyond what is required," says Kristen L Knutson, PhD, Departm ent of Health Studies, University of

Chicago "There is laboratory evidence that short sleep durations of 4-5 hours have

negative physiologic al and neurobehavioral consequences We need similar laboratory and intervention studies to determ ine whether long sleep durations (if they can be obtained) result in physiological changes that could lead to dis ease before we m ake any

recommendations against sleep extension."

But a key question is how m uch is too much or too little Researc hers Shawn Youngstedt and Daniel Kripke reviewed two surveys of m ore than 1 m illion adults c onducted by the

Am erican Cancer Society and found that the group of p eople who slept seven hours had less mortality after six years than those s leeping both more and less The group of people who slept shorter amounts and thos e who slept longer than eight hours had an average mortality risk that was greater, but the risk was higher for longer sleepers Youngstedt and Kripke argue that for those who would normally sleep longer than eight hours, restricting their sleep may actually be healthier for them, just as eating less than one’s appetite may be healthier in a more s endentary s ociety

What Your Body is Saying About Your Sleep Needs

After looking at the research, the next step in identifying your sleep need is taking a

"snapshot" of your sleeping habits Ellen began this process by looking qualitatively at each family m ember's sleep habits and their behaviors during the day Here’s what she found: Her teenage daughter was a lot of fun to be around at night – she was energetic and in high spirits, chatting with her fam ily during dinner, talking on the phone with friends, playing on her c omputer and squeezing in an hour of TV Whenever Ellen would try and get her off to bed, she’d complain that she didn’t feel tired Nevertheless, when her alarm would usher in another day of high school at 6:30 am, Ellen’s daughter Terri was NOT fun to be around Irritable, tired and unhappy, Terri would head off to school with a bad start to the day, not to mention the fact that she had difficulty staying awake in her classes What Ellen and Terri may not know is that Terri's biology and age pl ay a large role in her sleep habits As a teenager, her circadian rhythms are geared to stay up later in the evening and to wake later

in the morning As a res ult, a 10 o' cloc k bedtime may feel too early to her body, and a 6:30

am wake tim e certainly doesn't fit her current sleep/wake schedule But the biggest problem

is that adolescents still need lots of sleep – at least nine hours every night and it is hard to get that m uch when biology says "stay up late" and school says "start early."

Ellen never thought that her young son could be sleep deprived After all, she thought, sleep deprivation occurs when you’re a "night owl" teenager or over-worked adult, not a four year-old! What Ellen m ay not know is that children need much more sleep than their adult

counterparts to be well-rested Experts estimate that preschoolers (3 to 5 years -old) need 11-13 hours of sleep, while school-aged c hildren up to age 12 need approximately 10-11 hours of sleep Ellen’s son Josh frequently adapts to his family’s late-night schedule and doesn’t usually take naps – in fact, when he falls asleep in the car, it is usually past his bedtim e or the day after getting too little sleep As a result of "going along with the family routine," he’s often shortchanged on sleep Unfortunately, it shows up in whiny behavior and even tantrums that he has otherwise outgrown

As a mother of two in her forties, Ellen is us ed to s acrific ing her own sleep needs for that of her family’s She squeezes in a busy day at work and has lots to do around the house, not

to mention spending time with her children and husband By day’s end she feels exhausted, but hasn’t had time to herself and doesn’t want to sleep As a woman, Ellen has also had unique sleep experiences from those of her family members Ellen’s sleeping habits have undergone many c hanges throughout her life As a pregnant wom an her sleep needs

changed with each trimester, and she battled common sleep problems during pregnancy such as heartburn, leg cram ps and s noring As Ellen approaches m enopause, she will fac e new sleep c hallenges like hot flashes and may experience insom nia

Ellen’s husband Roger is a busy executive who often spends early mornings and late nights

working When he’s not working he’s often thinking about working, and this has l ed to a lot

of insomnia and sleeplessness nights Roger’s sleep deprivation is starting to show – he has difficulty enjoying time with his family and has lost his desire to exercise as he used to This pattern forms a vicious cyc le bec ause the less Roger s leeps the m ore likely he is to eat Researc h has found links between appetite increas e and sleep deprivation due to

hormones that are produced when you're s hort on sleep This can not only lead to gaining weight, but his sleep deprivation and weight gain c ould lead to serious health problems like the onset of s leep apnea, hypertension, heart attack, diabetes and stroke Roger knows that most adults need 7-9 hours to feel well-rested, but he has trouble "turning off" his mind at the end of the day to get the sleep he needs

Ellen's aging father has Parkinson's disease and faces a number of unique challenges

related to his sleep Regardless of his illness, as an older adult his sleep is different than when he was younger For example, elderly people tend to spend very little time in deep sleep and are m ore easily aroused or awakened Nevertheless, their average total sleep time increases slightly after age 65, but m any older adults divide their sleep between

daytim e naps and nighttim e sleep Napping, though, ma y decreas e the need to sleep at

night and s ome older people complain of diffic ulty falling asleep or staying asleep Lack of exercise m ay also take a toll on elder sleep and m edications may make a person feel

drows y and wanting to sleep during the day These problems should be discussed with a physician

As you can see, sleep needs vary across ages and are es pecially impacted by lifestyle and health Thus, to determine how much sleep you need, it's im portant to assess not only

where you fall on the "sleep needs spectrum," but also to examine what lifestyle factors are affecting the quality and quantity of your s leep s uch as work schedules and stress To get the sleep you need, you must look at the big picture

Though research c annot pinpoint an exact amount of sleep need by people at different ages,

the preceding table identifies the "rule-of-thumb" amounts most experts have agreed upon Nevertheless, it's important to pay attention to your own individual needs by assessing how you feel on different amounts of sleep Are you productive, healthy and happy on seven hours of sleep? Or does it take you nine hours of quality ZZZs to get you into high gear? Do you have health issues s uch as being overweight? Are you at risk for any diseas e? Are you experiencing sleep problems? Do you depend on caffeine to get you through the day? Do you feel sleepy when driving? These are questions that must be asked before you c an find the number that works for you

What You Can Do

To begin a new path towards healthier sleep and a healthier lifestyle, begin by assessing your own individual needs and habits See how you respond to different amounts of sleep Pay careful attention to your m ood, energy and health after a poor night's sleep vers us a good one Ask yourself, "How often do I get a good night's sleep?" If the answer is "not often", then you m ay need to consider changing your sleep habits or consulting a physician

or sleep specialist When Ellen's family mem bers began this process, they realized that

often they weren't getting what they would c all a "good night's sleep." This led each of them

to reevaluate how m uch sleep they needed and whether their sleep habits were healthy ones

To pave the way for better s leep, experts recommend that you and your family members follow these sleep tips:

 Establish consistent sleep and wake schedules, even on weekends

 Create a regular, relaxing bedtime routine s uch as soaking in a hot bath or listening

to soothing m usic – begin an hour or more before the time you expect to fall asleep

 Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool

 Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows

 Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex (keep "sleep stealers" out of the bedroom – avoid watching TV, using a computer or reading in bed)

 Finish eating at least 2-3 hours before your regular bedtime

 Exercise regularly during the day or at least a few hours before bedtime

 Avoid caffeine and alc ohol products close to bedtime and give up smoking

If you or a family member are experiencing sym ptoms suc h as sleepiness during the day or when you expect to be awake and alert, snoring, leg cram ps or tingling, gasping or difficulty breathing during sleep, prolonged insomnia or another symptom that is preventing you from sleeping well, you s hould consult your primary care physician or s leep s pecialist to

determine the underlying cause You may als o try keeping a sleep diary to trac k your sleep habits over a one- or two-week period and bring the res ults to your physician

Most importantly, make sleep a priority You must schedule sleep like any other daily

activity, s o put it on your "to-do list" and cross it off every night But don’t make it the thing you do only after everything else is done – stop doing other things so you get the sleep you need

Take a tip from Ellen Carol She said that "After our family made a commitment to getting the sleep we need, it seemed that my hus band and I were both more productive with the time we had and the kids seemed a little less grumpy and excitable Overall, ma king sleep a priority is something we are going to continue to do."