Healthy sleep is essential to feeling rested and alert. Getting the right amount for your mind and body feels great and helps you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go. Every person is different when it comes to the exact amount of sleep that’s optimal for them, but most people fall within a range, depending on their age. These guidelines can help you determine how much sleep you really need, while providing some easy ways to achieve it.
During the holidays, routines change, and sleep schedules can be disrupted. With children and teens home from school, fewer hours of daylight, less time spent outside, and new sleep environments due to travel, it can be challenging to sleep well over the holidays.
Getting enough quality sleep is essential at every age and plays a vital role in strengthening immune system function and fighting illness. With today’s heavy focus on health, it’s the time of year when maintaining a healthy immune system is top of mind.
“Amid the holiday hustle and bustle, the regular cold and flu season, and ongoing concerns about COVID-19, now more than ever is it important to ensure we’re all getting the right amount of sleep,” said Lauren Hale, PhD, Chair of the National Sleep Foundation. “No matter where or how you celebrate the holidays, there are things you can do to be your Best Slept Self. At the National Sleep Foundation, we understand how disrupting the holiday season can be for sleep schedules, so we’re sharing our easy-to-follow tips to put better sleep at the top of the list of holiday gifts and New Year’s Resolutions.”
The NSF offers the following tips to make sure you sleep well this holiday season and beyond:
- Set a Sleep Schedule: Wake up and go to bed at the same time every day. Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep a night and children and teens need 8-11 hours.
- Make a Sleep-Friendly Bedroom: Sleep in a dark room that is quiet and cool. Blankets and sheets might need to be changed for the winter months.
- Maintain Healthy Habits: Exercise daily and finish eating and drinking 2-3 hours before bed.
To help get quality sleep, avoid alcohol, caffeine, and spicy and fried foods right before bedtime. Aim for a bedroom temperature between 60 and 67 °F, make sure it’s dark, and block any bothersome noises with a pair of earplugs.
For more information and tips on how to maintain proper sleep habits, visit www.thensf.org.
