Need Sleep???

There was just a news story in my reader this morning about people with a slight genetic mutation that may allow them to get more sleep ... study was published in yesterday's online edition of Science. You need a subscription to read that but the synopsis was covered by AFP.

This led me to do a little research as I know I suffer from sleep apnea and have continued to watch my sleep patterns spiral all over the place. Usually I wake up between 5:30-6:30 on some internal clock now. Does not matter what time I go to bed. But I find that once a week my sleep debt (yes this is real) catches up with me and I will then go back to sleep for about 1.5 hours.

Thus I spend some time reading the articles and the articles they pointed to and then National Sleep Foundations website. There was an interesting page on that site that had some great little pieces of information.

You hear the advice that people need eight hours of sleep, but does that apply to every person? What about children, teens and older people? Many people seem to get by on less than eight so...

How Much Sleep Do We Really Need?

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What the Research Says About Sleep Duration

The first thing experts will tell you about sleep is that there is no "magic number." Not only do different age groups need different amounts of sleep, but sleep needs are also individual. Just like any other characteristics you are born with, the amount of sleep you need to function best may be different for you than for someone who is of the same age and gender. While you may be at your absolute best sleeping seven hours a night, someone else may 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.....


What You Can Do

To pave the way for better sleep, 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 such as soaking in a hot bath or listening to soothing music – 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 alcohol products close to bedtime and give up smoking

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