Is Sleep A Necessity?

Research has shown time and time again that Americans are getting less sleep each and everyday. A bigger issue involves recent reports that show children are getting less sleep during the day as well.  For adults, it’s something we expect, for our children not so much. To hear that children are getting less than seven hours a sleep a day is problematic, especially for the little ones. Children on average should be getting between 9 to 10 hours of sleep a night. 

In the technology driven world that we live today, it’s more like 6 to 8 hours a day. As we age we tend to sleep less. We get busy with work, kids and other activities.  Children nap here and a nap there, so when you add up the hours, they’re getting between 10 to 12 hours a day. During the teenage years, that’s when sleep begins to decrease. Teenagers are involved in so many extracurricular activities, driver’s education, a full-load of classes and  part-time jobs.  Days begin at 6 and end at past midnight often resulting in less than 6 hours of sleep per night. Unfortunately this is not enough for most people.

We, as a society have to train ourselves that it’s ok, to cut out some things to ensure that our bodies receive the essential amount of sleep that is needed to re-energize the brain for the next day.  Weekends are the only time that most of us are able to re-fuel our battery levels, but as someone once told me, “You can never make up for lost sleep.  It's gone, you have to move on.”  That may be true, but I will admit, anytime I can get a few extra zzzzzz’s I am grateful.

Remember the body needs sleep to function, without it there are detrimental effects on the individual.  Not only is it important to take care of our bodies through exercise, but so is sleep.  Sleep is indeed a necessity, its time that we start to acknowledge it.Your body heals and rejuvenates while sleeping so don't skimp. Be sure to get a minimum of 8 hours each night. If you're having trouble sleeping talk to a sleep doctor about steps you can take to sleep better. There are many sleep solutions out there that are natural and do not involve pills. Here's a handy Sleep Guide that you might enjoy.