Ever since I started teaching Nia I think that I have gotten more sleep than when I had a job with a large company. Do you get enough sleep? But what is “enough” sleep? I think some people think it is like a badge of honor if they can “get by” with a few hours sleep at night. I think we might forget that sleep is when our bodies do their repair work.
While we sleep our bodies rebuild and repair. Our brains, while they are busy performing these tasks actually gets its rests and gets ready for the next day. It is believed that healthy adults need between 7 and 9 hours sleep a night. Some sources say that getting even just one less hour a night can possibly affect our ability to think properly. Also it could affect your cardiovascular health and ability to fight infections in an adverse way. Your energy level and ability to concentrate might be less than desirable due to an inefficient amount of rest.
More and more studies are starting to point to sleep and the lack of it affecting our appetite. There are hormones involved that are produced while we sleep and their production is reduced when we don’t get enough sleep. These hormones control the feelings of hunger and of being full. So when we don’t get enough sleep it could result in being constantly hungry and not feeling satisfied.
Our mood is also connected to the sleep we get. Many people feel irritable and short tempered when they do not get enough sleep.
As previously stated research has concluded that a healthy adult needs between 7 and 9 hours sleep in order to function at their optimum, but everyone is different and the exact amount varies. Researchers at a California university found that a there is a rare gene in less than 3% of the population that allows for those people to get by on less than 6 hours sleep. The kind of says that probably 97% of the population is not getting the sleep that their bodies require to function properly. It is believed that most of the population survive on less than 6 hours sleep a night.
So, if you think sleeping less is something to boast about or if you think that sleep is a waste of time maybe you can try getting more sleep and see how you feel. Then maybe all these studies that are out there will be viewed in a different brighter light, through less sleepy eyes.
How much sleep, on average do you get a night?
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