In our health-centric world, everyone is focused on getting their “Five a Day” (that’s consuming at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day), drinking enough water to stay hydrated, and exercising, but are you getting enough sleep? The fact is, we’re all busy, juggling a lot, and fitting in enough hours of sleep to take care of ourselves is a challenge.
A recent study by the National Sleep Foundation studied the impact of sleep on mental health. Results suggest that sleep is directly linked to your physical health and emotional vitality. Dr. Zee, a professor of neurology, stated, “Sleep is important for mental function: alertness, memory consolidation, mood regulation, and physical health.”
So the question is, how many hours of sleep are enough?
There is a lot of information available on the topic of how much sleep you need. The standard answer for the recommended number of hours of sleep is 8 hours, which isn’t true for everyone.
The reality is that the number of hours of sleep you need depends on your age. The National Sleep Foundation analyzed the results of over 300 studies on the topic and came back with the following suggestions:
Sleep requirements by age
- Newborns (0 to 3 months): 14 to 17 hours of sleep
- Infants (4 to 11 months): 12 to 15 hours of sleep
- Toddlers (1 to 2 years): 11 to 14 hours of sleep
- Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): 10 to 13 hours of sleep
- School-aged children (6 to 13 years): 9 to 11 hours of sleep
- Teenagers (14 to 17 years): 8 to 10 hours of sleep
- Young adults (18 to 25 years): 7 to 9 hours of sleep
- Adults (26 to 64 years): 7 to 9 hours of sleep
- Older adults (65 years or older): 7 to 8 hours of sleep
Considering that’s roughly just over a third of the day for most of us, it makes sense to go the extra mile and make your bed a sleep sanctuary, right? After all, you want it soft and comfortable, so you get your needed hours of shuteye.
Body temperature matters
For your body to regulate its circadian rhythm and ultimately achieve a night of deep sleep, the body’s core temperature needs to drop 2-3 degrees. A falling temperature is the cue to onset sleep, also making you sleep more soundly. So staying cool is one of the most important factors in being well-rested.
Choosing a breathable, thermo-regulating fabric, such as CleanBamboo, may help you stay cool and sleep well. Bamboo fabric also has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, and it is silky-soft! Your skin will thank you.
Just remember when choosing bamboo sheets that not all bamboo is created equal!
Try this handy sleep calculator to estimate the best time to wake up and go to bed. The bedtime calculator gives you multiple results based on your age and your goal wake time or bedtime. The results are broken down to optimize your REM and non-REM sleep cycles.
Make your bed comfortable.
Many factors will affect your ability to sleep well, but we suggest starting with your bedding. To catch the much-needed Z’s, why not invest in silky-soft, comfortable bedding? Bamboo Sateen Sheets are incredibly soft and silky, hypoallergenic, cooling, and as an extra bonus, good for the environment while gentle on your skin. It’s a great reason to climb into bed and get a great night’s sleep.
Sweet dreams!