Getting Better Sleep
ZANESVILLE, OH – It’s been a few weeks since we lost an hour of sleep from the time change but for some it may still be affecting your sleep habits.
Misty Harmon, an Educator in Family and Consumer Sciences with the Perry County OSU Extension Office, said as we age our sleeping needs change with newborns needing between 14 and 17 hours, teens between 8 and 10 hours, and adults needing between 7 to 9 hours a night, according to the CDC.
“It’s really important that we get that in order for us to do a lot of things over night.” Harmon said. “Our brains regenerate and they recover when we’re sleeping, the brain actually uses a drainage system to remove toxins and they process information from the day, as a part of our downtime, and so, if we’re not getting quality sleep then we’re not going to be removing those toxins and the brains not going to be regenerating and healing and kind of making us feel better.”
Harmon said some of the benefits of getting a good night’s rest include keeping your immune system healthy, helps regulate weight, reduces stress, and improves heart health.
She also said she recently sat down with some high school students and was shocked to hear the number of kids getting the right amount of sleep each night.
“Only about 4 or 5 in a class of 25 are getting the recommended 8 to 10, because they’re teenagers right? So they need that little bit longer.” Harmon said. “So we talked about why it’s really important and some of the things we can do to help with that is maintaining a consistent bedtime. Going to bed at the same time, getting up at the same time so not just sleep and wake cycle. I set an alarm everyday of the week, even on the weekends, because I want to make sure that I get enough sleep but I don’t sleep too much because contrary, just like not getting enough sleep is not good for us, getting too much can be detrimental as well.”
Harmon said if you are still struggling to fall asleep, maybe try a routine of things that calm you down before you get into bed and to unplug from electronic devices to help your brain further unwind.
