A terrible night’s sleep results in more than just feeling unpleasant in the morning. It can lead to poor efficiency at work or school in the short term. And no one needs just another reason to be groggy in the morning meetings. But if this happens persistently with you, it can cause significant health concerns like increased anxiety and risk of heart disease.

The number of hours you sleep allows your brain and body to relax and enter the much-needed rapid eye movement (REM) state, which helps your brain develop. So how long should you sleep then? If you sleep for 12 hours, will your brain develop faster? The answer is yes; if you are an infant! Here is a list of ideal sleep times for people of all ages:

• Newborns (0 – 3 months): 14–17 hours each day
• Infants (4–11 months): 12–15 hours
• Toddlers (1–2 years): 11–14 hours
• Preschoolers (3–5): 10–13 hours
• School-age children (6–13): 9–11 hours
• Teenagers (14–17): 8–10 hours
• Younger adults (18–25): 7–9 hours
• Adults (26–64): 7– 9 hours
• Older adults (65 and older): 7–8 hours

Based on your circumstances, sleeping one hour more or less than the normal range may be acceptable in some scenarios. 

Besides this, many myths about sleep drive our day-to-day life so much that it is hard to believe they are not backed by science. So, in this article, we have debunked some common sleep myths so that you don’t lose a good night’s sleep fretting over them. 

Sleep Fiction

Why there is not a genre called sleep fiction – we have no idea. But we know for a fact that the following myths are just that – fiction. 

Myth 1: A healthy adult only needs five or less hours of sleep

Researchers think this myth has the most potential to harm public health. It is because inadequate sleep (five hours or less each night) is linked to adverse cardiovascular, metabolism, psychological, and immunological health effects.

The optimal sleep cycle for people is between seven and nine hours every night, and there is no way to get around it. It is high time you found some work-life balance. 

Myth 2: A good sleeper can fall asleep at any time or place

Being able to sleep ‘anytime, anywhere’ may be symptomatic of a persistently sleep-deprived state, rather than being descriptive of ‘a good sleeper.’ Yes, it is not something you should be proud of.

This fallacy is problematic because sleeping in fewer than five minutes may indicate you’re very tired – could be an indication that you haven’t gotten enough sleep. It could also indicate that your bedtime has been disrupted or fragmented.

You might be sleep deprived if you fall asleep rapidly, take naps, doze off unintentionally, or sleep more into weekends. A little additional sleep should be all that is required to make up for lost sleep.

The idea here isn’t to be able to sleep in every situation. Instead, it is to try for a sufficient amount of quality sleep on a regular basis.

Myth 3: Exercising at night interferes with sleep

The excuse (and that’s what it is) that exercising before bed will wake you up and hold you from getting some sleep is untrue. 

According to studies, even intensive night time workout sessions do not frequently interfere with sleep. In reality, working out helps you sleep better!

However, for some people, doing highly strenuous activities right before heading to bed may make it difficult for your muscles to relax and fall into sleep. So you should know your boundaries before diving headfirst into a workout regime. 

Myth 4: ​​Taking a nap during the day can make up for lost sleep

While a fast nap can provide an energy boost, it does not replace good sleep at night. It is mainly because it does not require progressing through sleep phases in the same sense as regular rest. Long naps can also make you feel disoriented and sluggish – sad, but we know it is true.

If you split your sleeping time between day and night, your homeostatic sleep urge could go down. It could perpetuate insomnia and further make things worse. When you need to nap, keep it to less than 30 minutes or less in the afternoon.

Now that we have debunked some significant myths about sleep, here are a few tips and tricks that you can add to your everyday routine that will not only help you get a high quality of sleep but also make you feel more energised and reduce health issues in the long run.

Simple Habits to Help You Sleep Better

• Maintain a Consistent Sleep/Wake Schedule: Begin by establishing a consistent and healthy pattern of waking up at the same time each day. Your body will gradually adjust and follow suit, causing you to fall asleep simultaneously every night.
• Unplug Before Bedtime: If you want a better night’s sleep and have fewer racing thoughts when you turn off the lights, turn off your phones, TVs, laptops, and tablets at least one hour before bedtime.
• Exercise Every Day, But Not Too Close to Night: Evening workouts are fine, but they should take place a few hours before bedtime to allow your body to cool down before you sleep.
• Take a Warm Bath or Shower: After a long day, a hot bath or shower is a terrific way to unwind and decompress.
• If You Can’t Sleep, Don’t Stay in Bed: If you’ve been in bed for more than 30 minutes and can still not fall asleep, don’t stew. Get up and do something relaxing; however, stay away from phones or television.

So, Will You Be Sleeping For 8 Hours Tonight?

At this point, we hope you know how vital it is to have a good night’s sleep. It means enhanced REM cycles, more energy, less depression, increased productivity, and improved health. But if you can’t sleep because your beloved partner has a snoring problem, then the solution you should be looking at is Smart Nora. All it does is gently move their pillow when it senses snoring sounds, the movement then helps them sleep better.