In the short term, people who don’t get adequate sleep are more likely than others to have road accidents. As well as impacting concentration and mood, lack of sleep has been linked to a range of conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and even premature death. Not getting enough sleep can seriously affect a person’s health. What can happen if you don’t get enough sleep? Children and teenagers need more sleep than adults, while older people tend to sleep more lightly and for shorter time spans than when they were younger - despite needing the same amount of sleep as they did as young adults. Most adults need about 8 hours of sleep per night. Sleep promotes attention, memory and learning. It allows for growth and healing, and helps control appetite and weight. Sleep is also thought to help keep the immune system strong and the heart and blood vessels healthy. In short, you need sleep so your body and mind can function properly. Scientists don’t fully understand why humans need so much sleep, but it’s believed to help restore the body physically, as well as organise the brain. Babies spend at least half of the time they’re asleep in REM sleep. Adults usually spend about one-fifth of the night in REM sleep and the remaining four-fifths in non-REM sleep. REM sleep happens about every 90 minutes during the night. REM sleep is when most dreaming occurs and is thought to be important for learning and creating new memories. In REM sleep, your eyes move rapidly, your blood pressure and heart rate go up, and your brain becomes very active. During stages 2, 3 and 4, your eye movements stop, your body temperature drops and you are deeply asleep. During stage 1, you are transitioning between being awake and asleep, and wake easily. When you are in non-REM sleep, you go through 4 stages. If this system is disrupted - such as due to shift work or jet lag - you can experience sleep problems. Your body’s circadian rhythm (or, internal biological ‘clock’) control when you feel sleepy and when you’re typically awake. While your body is mostly still, your brain is quite active. When you are asleep, your eyes are closed, most of your muscles are relaxed and your consciousness is practically suspended. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to improve your sleep. Sleeping problems are common, with up to 4 in 10 Australian adults not getting enough good-quality sleep. Related information on Australian websitesĪdequate sleep is vital for your health, but can be hard to achieve when life is busy.How do I sleep well if I’m a shift worker?.What can happen if you don’t get enough sleep?.Light alarms wake you more gently by increasing the amount of light until your dark room becomes bright, which also signals to your body to reduce melatonin and help push you into light sleep. To avoid having your alarm clock jolt you out of sleep before reaching the light sleep stage, consider going to bed earlier and replacing a noise alarm with a light alarm. You want to make sure your room is as dark as possible because this helps your mind tell your body it’s time to sleep, and following the same bedtime routine every night can help improve sleep quality. Some people find that aromatherapy is also helpful. This means turning off any screens (televisions, tablets, phones), turning the thermostat down, and turning on ambient noise, like a fan or gentle, soothing music to help you sleep restfully. In addition to these sleep suggestions, it’s beneficial to make sure your bedroom gives you the best opportunity for a good night’s sleep. Reduce your dose next time to see if that helps. If you’ve gotten a full night’s sleep (6+ hours), but still feel groggy when you wake, you may be taking too large of a dose of melatonin. The morning after taking melatonin, you should wake up feeling rested, relaxed and invigorated. It’s formulated with an optimal level of melatonin for no next day grogginess,* shown to help support your natural sleep cycle, and a proprietary blend of botanicals, including chamomile and lavender. If you’re looking for a drug free approach, the sleep experts at Vicks also designed ZzzQuil PURE Zzzs Melatonin as a sleep supplement that will help you fall asleep naturally* so you can take on your tomorrow. Both contain diphenhydramine, an antihistamine known to help treat occasional sleeplessness so you can fall asleep in as little as 20 minutes with a non-habit forming sleep-aid. If you suffer from occasional sleeplessness, an over-the-counter sleep medication such as ZzzQuil Liquid or ZzzQuil LiquiCaps can help. A healthy adult requires 7-9 hours of sleep per night, and sleeping less than this can reduce the number of REM sleep cycles.
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