Glamaour Era magazine Glamaour Era Global | Page 47
If you're reading this, there's a good chance you're not getting enough sleep. You
could probably use a nap, and you're not alone.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that about
70 million U.S. adults report sleeping six hours or less on average. This is well below
the seven or more hours of nightly sleep that the American Academy of Sleep
Medicine (AASM) recommends for optimal health.
It's important for you to get the sleep you need. No matter the age, children and
adults report improved alertness, energy, mood and well-being when enjoying
healthy, consistent sleep.
However, with different sleep needs for each family member, making sure that
everyone gets the sleep they need can be a real challenge. Therefore, families should
make it a priority to adopt routines that t each individual's unique lifestyle and
sleep needs.
Whatever your situation, these four tips can help you and your family get on a
consistent sleep schedule, sleep better, and in the process, lead healthier lives.
1. Use a bedtime calculator. The National Healthy Sleep Awareness Project has
developed a bedtime calculator that can help you generate a customized sleep plan.
Simply visit www.projecthealthysleep.org and enter your age and wake-up time. The
calculator will tell you what time you need to go to bed to get an adequate amount of
sleep. This personalized calculation can help you and your loved ones keep a
schedule that allows everyone to get the sleep they need.
The AASM recommends that each age group get the following amount of sleep
on a regular basis:
* Infants 4 to 12 months old: 12 to 16 hours (including naps)
* Children 1 to 2 years old: 11 to 14 hours (including naps)
* Children 3 to 5 years old: 10 to 13 hours (including naps)
* Children 6 to 12 years old: Nine to 12 hours
* Teens 13 to 18 years old: Eight to 10 hours
* Adults: Seven hours or more
2. Limit your screen activity. It may be tempting to watch television and scroll
through apps until you fall asleep, but this is one of the worst bedtime habits. The
blue light emitted from phones, tablets and laptops resets your circadian clock and
"tricks" your brain into thinking it's time to be awake. Late-night screen time is one
of the most common sleep hygiene violations, and a new study links binge-watching
in young adults with poorer sleep quality, more fatigue and increased insomnia. To
promote responsible screen time, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
recommends setting an episode or time limit each night, using one of the apps for
your computer, tablet and smartphone that lters out blue light, avoiding use of
mobile devices while in bed; and turning off all screens at least a half-hour before
your bedtime.