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Tell us: Do you get enough sleep?
We want to know how many hours of shut-eye you get a night, and what your nighttime routine looks like.
Most of us know that doing daily exercise and eating fruits and vegetables is important for our health. But what about sleep?
According to the CDC, if you’re not getting enough sleep regularly, you could be at an increased risk for obesity, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, poor mental health, and early death.
Even just one night of poor sleep can affect you the next day in more ways than one: you are more likely to feel tired, be in a bad mood, be less productive at work, and be involved in a motor vehicle accident, according to the CDC.
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Many of us struggle with sleep – one in three adults don’t get enough of it. So how do you become a better sleeper?
First it’s important to know how much sleep you need, which changes as you age. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommends that adults ages 18-60 get seven or more hours of sleep per night. For teens that number rises to 8-10 hours per 24 hours, and as much as 16 hours for infants.
To become a better sleeper, and to improve the quality of sleep, the CDC suggests the following:
- Be consistent. Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, including on the weekends.
- Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature.
- Remove electronic devices such as TVs, computers, and phones from the bedroom.
- Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime.
- Don’t use tobacco.
- Get some exercise. Being physically active during the day can help you fall asleep more easily at night.
We want to know if you think you are getting enough sleep and how many hours a night you get on average. We also want to know about your nighttime routine: Do you have a ritual to wind down at the end of the day, and what are some things you do to help yourself fall asleep? Do you listen to calming music, read a book, or simply hope for the best? Share with us in the survey below or email us at [email protected], and your response may appear in an upcoming Boston.com article.
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