How Much Sleep Do I Need?
Sleep Is Important
Often when we think about living a healthy lifestyle we know it’s about what we eat and drink, and how active we are, but there’s another equally important piece of the picture, and that’s good quality sleep. Good sleep is as important as fresh air, good food and physical activity, and lack of sleep – especially in your growing years, will make you cranky and irritable. You will feel bad, perform bad, and may even look bad.
How Much Sleep Do I Need?
Pre-teens (11-12 years), and teenagers need around 9.5 hours sleep every night, however research has shown that many young people are only getting an average of 7.5 hours. This may be because after puberty there’s a change in your biological clocks and you fall asleep around 2 hours later than usual, so nearer 11pm instead of 9pm. So you need to manage your sleep by establishing a routine and sticking to it. Try to be in bed latest by 10pm. Get your homework done early. Put your phone on silent. It will make you more disciplined and you’ll feel better.
Growing
Not enough sleep and disturbed sleep can affect your growth and development. You’ve been told to avoid your laptop, tablet, and especially phone late at night, but it’s not just nagging, there’s a good scientific reason why. These gadgets emit blue light, which interferes with the body’s production of melatonin – the hormone that helps us sleep, and not enough melatonin can prevent you from reaching the deeper levels of sleep – which is when your body produces growth hormone. And you need your growth hormone. So avoid using these gadgets in the hour before you sleep and when you’re in bed.
Learning
Lack of sleep limits your ability to learn. It affects your memory – making it harder for you to retain information learnt during the day. During sleep your body rests and rejuvenates; knowledge is consolidated into memory which enhances your power of recall and understanding. In other words, good quality sleep makes you smarter.
Too Much Screen Time Can Cause Poor Sleep
That’s been outlined above, but one other thing: never check your phone in the dark – it’s like shining a torch directly into your eyes! (any optician will tell you that). And make sure your room is very dark, as light in the room also affects melatonin production.
Lack Of Sleep Can Affect Your Health In Other Ways
Studies have shown that teenagers who do not get enough sleep are more susceptible to catching colds, flu and gastroenteritis, and their academic performance suffers. Lack of sleep also makes you overeat – especially sugary foods and carbs, so to prevent weight gain, get your zzzzzzzzzzzzzs.
So Love Sleep!
But not too much, because, as the proverb says, if you’re sleeping when you should be working or studying, impecuniosity can come upon you like a robber! (great word, look it up!)