Eight hours. Eight hours of sleep every night is that magical number you’ve likely heard drilled into you from parents, teachers, and social media personalities alike. But is this saying true? Is eight hours a night really what your body needs? What even makes a sufficient amount of sleep important in the first place?
A full restful sleep is one of the most fundamentally important aspects of our lives, as essential as eating food and drinking water. However, it is also the necessity that many people neglect the most. Some of the most important work your body does is while you lie in bed. Sleeping allows your body and mind to rest and recharge, heal injuries, grow and develop, consolidate memories and skills, and fight off infection. The age-old adage is “eight hours work, eight hours recreation, and eight hours rest”, but this may be a myth. Sleep requirements vary wildly, and health needs are different for every person. Many people need more or less sleep, depending on health, lifestyle, and age. Generally, most adults can live on about seven hours of sleep, whereas teenagers and children need significantly more due to their brains and bodies still developing, often nine to ten hours a night.
Despite the necessity of sleep, many people worldwide do not get enough. “Sleep deprivation” is a condition of not having sufficient sleep duration or quality to stay healthy. According to the CDC, about one-third of adults in the US are sleep deprived, causing all manner of complications. Going without sleep impairs your body’s ability to function and recuperate; you feel weaker, drowsier, and less able to think straight. You are far more likely to become sick or develop chronic issues such as cancer, obesity, dementia, and heart disease. As anyone who has stayed up all night can tell you, sleep deprivation is linked to mood and mental health issues, making you unhappy, exhausted, and irritable.
This problem is even worse when it comes to teenagers and high school students. Research has shown that young adults need eight to ten hours of restful sleep each night to stay fresh and healthy, but if we are being honest, almost none of us reach those margins. Many sources, such as the CDC and Child Mind Institute, suggest that between 70-80% of teenagers get an unhealthy amount of sleep a night, and East-West is no different. As teenagers develop, their circadian rhythms (the internal body clock that governs sleep) shift, and their bodies naturally feel the need to stay up later at night and sleep in later in the mornings. Teenagers have different needs from adults, but globally, there isn’t enough adjustment for that. Very early school starts do not help, with many teens struggling to go to sleep early enough to function at 100%. On top of that, pressures from school work or sports may eat into their recreational time after school, forcing them to stay up later to study or even get a bit of relaxation time to themselves. It is not our fault that we struggle to keep a healthy sleep schedule, but there are some things you can do about it.
Suggestions include:
It may be frustrating or difficult to do, but these can genuinely improve your sleep and overall quality of life, even if you only implement a few of them. Sleep is extremely important, and getting into good sleeping habits now can make all the difference.