I am sitting on my couch around 8 pm. I am so tired. Should I go to bed now or later? I have so much to get done. But, I think to myself “I can sleep in this weekend and catch up on my sleep.” Then the weekend comes, guess what happens? I am sure you know. Hence, the importance of sleep!
Getting enough good quality sleep can play an essential role in your well-being and support your overall health. The importance of sleep has many benefits such as protecting your mental health and physical health. It also makes your more aware of your surroundings to enhance your quality of life and personal safety.
Watch this video to discover the importance of sleep to eyour health and wel-being. . 
It can also be found on my Facebook Group page, or on my YouTube channel.
Table of Contents
The Importance of Sleep for College Students/Young Adults and High School Students
I write about this because I hope you are out there reading my posts and you start to think about yourself and your needs first. Also, it is a good way to start good habits young and then carry them over into adulthood and parenting, whichever journey you decide to take.
Was I once a high school student? Yes. Was I once a college student? The answer is, yes again. And believe me, when I say this, I went on about 5 hours of sleep while in college. I was attending college and paramedic school at the same time. On top of that, I was working part-time as well to get me through school. Did I forget to mention I was also playing volleyball, basketball, and softball for my college?
I was invincible!!!! NOT! It caught up with me.
I have researched how much sleep most teens and young adults students need in order to properly function. By that, I mean to have a positive mood, to be able to concentrate and learn, which will directly heighten your academic performance, and proper sleep will increase your energy levels to focus better.
So how much sleep, on average, do most young adults and high school students need to restore energy, boost the immune system, fight fatigue, provide for a more clear and creative thinking mind and produce a more positive mood? Drum roll please…….8 to 10 hours. So find the time, “think me first” and go slump!
The Importance of Sleep for Adults
I have been in adulthood for a while. Although I am 45, I still have days when I think I am 25, I push myself all day long, only to have to take a day or two to recoup. Why is this? Before, I could function with plenty of energy and not feel tired after only a few hours of sleep. Now I want to retire around 9 pm or so.
Adults need sleep for the same reasons teens and young adults do. While performing at work, home, etc, we all need to have a clear mind to make sound decisions and to repair our bodies while sleeping. Being an adult means a lot of responsibilities and multitasking from running a household, family, work, friends, and many more obligations.
Your mood depends on how much sleep you get. Balancing all of these repetitively can take a beating on your mood and then snowball over to how you react due to your mood. Getting good quality sleep will heal that.
So how much sleep do we need as adults? Most sites will tell you adults between 26-64 need as much as 7 to 9 hours. Adults older than 65 need 7 to 8 hours. With this amount of sleep, our productivity is higher and hopefully, stress levels are down.
How Can I Go To Sleep Instantly?
Well, the answer to this one will be different for everyone. My husband gets jealous of me because I can fall asleep rather easily. In the past, I tell people I slept with one eye opened at all times and was sleep-deprived many times.
Everyone has different things that work for them and things that don’t. People are not built alike and have different lifestyles or different events and issues in their lives. Do not compare yourself to others. You know yourself the best, so do what works for you.
Here are a few ways to get you started.
Listen to Music
There are studies that show classical music or music that has a slow rhythm of 60-80 beats per minute can put one to sleep. Perhaps it’s because classical music has no words? Studies have shown that if you listen to classical music about 45 minutes before going to sleep, your sleep quality will be more successful and it is reported it can decrease signs of depression. Got any classical music?
Imagine Your Favorite Place
Do you ever imagine your serene place to be a farm? Uh, not me either. So Why would you count sheep to fall asleep?
What environment makes you happy, calm and can take you away from the madness, drama, or everyday stresses? Mine would be the ocean. Perhaps you find your comfort camping and looking at the stars. Whatever your tranquil place is, imagine you are there absorbing it all.
Scent Your Bedroom With Lavender
Yes, oil lovers, this one is for you! Lavender not only smells good, but also lowers your blood pressure, reduces anxiety, increases your sleep quality, and helps to relieve migraines. It has other health benefits as well. Check them out here.
Per a research study in 2005, Wesleyan University found that test subjects that sniffed lavender oil for two minutes at three, 10-minute intervals before bedtime increased their amount of sleep and felt more vigorous in the morning.
Decrease Blue Light Before Going to Bed
Here is the big one that most of us can relate to.
Okay, if you tired, yet reading this post, please put down your cell, tablet, or laptop and resume in the morning. This post will be around as long as the internet still is. 🙂
Blue light exposure before bed can harm your quality of sleep. Actually, the light of any kind can suppress your body’s production of melatonin, which is a hormone that’s made by the pineal gland in the brain to help control your daily sleep-wake cycles. But it is the blue light waves that harm your sleep quality more powerfully.
Come on people, let this addiction go. It will be there when we wake up!
These are just a few ways to get better sleep. There are many more. Again, it depends on your lifestyle, your eating habits…..it all begins with YOU!
The Importance of Sleep for the Brain?
We all have brains, right? I often question how some people function from time to time, but we all have them. And to clear the record, I like many others, have had the “brain fart” from time to time. So, why is sleep important to our brain?
Have ever woken up and felt real sluggish? Have you ever had to make a big decision on little sleep and failed miserably? Are you forgetful or distracted easily and not able to focus on little sleep?
Well, your brain reacts the same way. It too, on little sleep may be sluggish and not able to focus because the brain cells cannot communicate effectively. The neurons are not capable of functioning properly.
Since I am not a scientist in this arena, we will keep it simple. Every 90 minutes a normal sleep cycle goes through “quiet sleep” and “REM” sleep. During quiet sleep (this cycle boosts the immune system), the muscles relax, body temp drops and heart rate, and breathing begins to slow. Then the real magic begins. REM sleep kicks in to enhance learning and memory and it contributes to emotional health.
Sleep is Good For Weight Loss
Say What??? If sleep was good for weight loss, I would sleep the time away!
Yup, it’s true. Sleeping has weight loss benefits! There are two tricks though. In order to lose weight while sleeping, you need to get your recommended hours of sleep for your age and you need to do it consistently. It will only happen over time.
Think about it. If you are sleeping, guess what you are not doing? Eating…right. And if you are sleeping between 7 to 9 hours for adults or 8 to 10 hours for teens and young adults, in a 24 hour period, that is almost a 1/2 day of not consuming calories.
Also, when you sleep, your body is hard at work building muscle and repairing and rejuvenating tissue. The less sleep you get, the less time your body has for these critical processes. And since the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism is, lack of sleep can lead to your body effectively burning calories.
Okay, to conclude, we now know the importance of sleep, how much sleep we need and why. Included are also some ways, to fall asleep. Remember, no one person is the same. We are each wired differently and come from all sorts of situations and backgrounds. But one way we can all relate, we know sleep is necessary for a healthy lifestyle, it’s free, and it can be done just about anywhere.
With that in mind, “think me first” and take care of yourself!
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