Sleep is an incredibly important part in our daily life. We spend almost one-third of our lifespan on it. However, many people are wondering how much sleep do they need every day. In the last few years, National Sleep Foundation finished a research about the appropriate sleep duration for different age groups, and they published the results in sleep health. The appropriate sleep duration for teenagers is between 8 to 10 hours. For adults, the recommended sleep duration is between 7 to 9 hours.
Canadian Men’s health foundation conducted a study about sleep and found that around 30% Canadian men do not have enough sleep every day. They usually sleep 4 to 6 hours in a day instead of the recommended sleep duration. This may increase their risk of having some serious health problems such as heart disease. A Research published in Sleep Medicine suggests that short sleep duration over a long period time may be related to an increasing risk of mortality. People who have less sleep duration tends to have a greater risk of dying than people who
have enough sleep. Some people like to stay up very late in the weekend. They held some parties and enjoy the weekend’s night without feeling tired. They may be able to get enough sleep by getting up late the next day, but this is still harmful because people need regular sleep time everyday. Moreover, people who stay up late in the weekend may feel tired in the coming Monday, and they cannot adjust themselves to the regular working schedule.
Too much screen time is the one of the reason why many people do not have enough sleep. A recent research showed that smartphone use for work at night disrupted sleep that night, which was associated with greater depletion the next morning and less engagement during the workday. Many people prefer to watch their phones for a second before they sleep. Once they open some social networking software such as Facebook, they cannot stop themselves for a long time. Some people may also like to watch television for a while before they sleep. As a result, people spend more time on screen instead of getting enough sleep. There may be many other reasons why people do not have enough sleep, but screen time is what we can control. People can have a good night’s sleep by decreasing the time they spent on their phones before they go to sleep.
A video about why sleep matters:
In conclusion, people should pay attention to their sleep duration and their sleep qualities. They should regulate their sleep schedule and try to have a regular sleep time. People should keep themselves away from the device that can excite their brain when they prepare to sleep.
By Junchao Bai