How Much Sleep Do You Really Need To Have A Productive Day
By Shondell Varcianna
January 22, 2016
Productivity
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The average person sleeps 24 years in their lifetime. A lot of research has been done on the importance of sleep, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions about how much sleep we need each night in order to be productive.
Even though there remains many unanswered questions we all know that it is important to get a good night’s sleep if we want to function properly during the day. Many people try to make getting 8 hours of sleep a night a priority. It is important that you feel fully rested if you expect to be productive after the sun comes up.
Since everyone’s sleep needs vary it is difficult to put a number on how much sleep we each need. To discover how much sleep you need each night to have a productive day you have to determine how much sleep you feel you need nightly.
First you need to assess what your sleep spectrum is as well as examine your lifestyle factors that directly affect your sleep, such as work hours, lifestyle and stress.
Ask yourself some questions:
1. Do you believe that you are productive, healthy and happy on eight hours of sleep?
2. Do you have any health issues and are you at risk for any diseases?
3. Are you currently experiencing sleep issues?
4. Do you need caffeine to get through your day?
5. Do you get sleepy while you are driving?
Once you can see the big picture it is easier to establish the amount of sleep your body truly needs. If you have answered yes to any of these questions then chances are you need more sleep nightly.
In general the experts recommend that children 5 and under get up to 17 hours of sleep a day. Individuals 6 to 17 get up to 11 hours of sleep nightly and people 18 and above get at least 8 hours of sleep nightly.
If you aren’t in the recommended sleep hours and are feeling drowsy and unproductive during the day there are steps you can take to get yourself into better sleep habits.
Here are a few tips to help you get a healthy night’s sleep:
If you feel you aren’t getting enough sleep it is vital to make how much sleep you get a priority. Start scheduling your sleep time like you do other activities in your life. Once you determine the proper amount of sleep necessary to make you feel healthy and happy you’ll find yourself living a much more productive life.
Picture by Serlunar
Even though there remains many unanswered questions we all know that it is important to get a good night’s sleep if we want to function properly during the day. Many people try to make getting 8 hours of sleep a night a priority. It is important that you feel fully rested if you expect to be productive after the sun comes up.
Since everyone’s sleep needs vary it is difficult to put a number on how much sleep we each need. To discover how much sleep you need each night to have a productive day you have to determine how much sleep you feel you need nightly.
First you need to assess what your sleep spectrum is as well as examine your lifestyle factors that directly affect your sleep, such as work hours, lifestyle and stress.
Ask yourself some questions:
1. Do you believe that you are productive, healthy and happy on eight hours of sleep?
2. Do you have any health issues and are you at risk for any diseases?
3. Are you currently experiencing sleep issues?
4. Do you need caffeine to get through your day?
5. Do you get sleepy while you are driving?
Once you can see the big picture it is easier to establish the amount of sleep your body truly needs. If you have answered yes to any of these questions then chances are you need more sleep nightly.
In general the experts recommend that children 5 and under get up to 17 hours of sleep a day. Individuals 6 to 17 get up to 11 hours of sleep nightly and people 18 and above get at least 8 hours of sleep nightly.
If you aren’t in the recommended sleep hours and are feeling drowsy and unproductive during the day there are steps you can take to get yourself into better sleep habits.
Here are a few tips to help you get a healthy night’s sleep:
- It is important to stick to your sleep schedule even on the weekends
- Try to find something that helps you relax at night such as a hot bath or a good book.
- Fit 30 minutes of exercise into your daily schedule.
- Make sure that your bedroom is perfect for sleeping. Check the room’s temperature, keep noise and light to a minimum.
- Avoid things that steal sleep such as alcohol and caffeine.
- Leave the computers and other electronic devices out of the bedroom.
If you feel you aren’t getting enough sleep it is vital to make how much sleep you get a priority. Start scheduling your sleep time like you do other activities in your life. Once you determine the proper amount of sleep necessary to make you feel healthy and happy you’ll find yourself living a much more productive life.
Picture by Serlunar