Knowing the right amount of sleep we need is important to stay fresh and at the top of our game. Most people fail to understand that proper sleep calculation is important to determine the right sleep time needed to maintain our daily routine. Before focusing on sleep mediation or sleep medicine, it is important to determine the amount of sleep you require.
Usual Sleep Time for People
One question sleep doctors usually get from patients is whether they are sleeping enough. Usually, our sleep requirements tend to decrease as we get older. Infants may sleep up to 17 hours a day. This number reduces to less than 7 hours of sleep every night for grown adults. As developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a common set of sleep guidelines suggests that 8-10 hours of sleep is the recommended amount for teenagers between 13-18 years of age.
However, sleep calculators also suggest that the sleep time for people can vary on an individual basis based on their sleep regression and life routine. For example, some people may need 10-12 hours of sleep to be fresh, while their counterparts may wake naturally in 6-8 hours.
Sleep Cycle Calculator
To ease determining the right sleep time for you, three main factors are considered to determine your sleep cycle. First, the time a person wakes up is determined. Next, 15 minutes are set aside for them to fall asleep. Then, sleep is divided into 90-minute cycles, with the usual amount being between 5-6 cycles for everyone.
For example, your sleep doctor may calculate your sleep cycle as follows.
- If you wake at 4 a.m., your five cycles would be 450 minutes or 7.5 hours.
- As such, you would have slept by 8: 30 pm.
- However, your sleep cycle starts at 8:15 pm to factor in the 15 minutes sleeping time.
It is important to note that sleeping time can also vary from person to person. Factors like fatigue, sleep deprivation, health, and sleep medication can heavily affect sleeping time.
What is Sleep Regression?
Sleep regression refers to when a young child faces poorer sleep than usual. Here, the main issues include shortened nap times and fuzzy behavior before going to sleep. In some cases, the child may visibly try to fight sleep and wake up many times during the night.
The usual period for such regression is when the baby is eight months old. It is important to note that sleep regression is common, but it does not affect every child. Also, the regression period can vary over many months. Some children experience it at four months old, while others may face regression issues at 18 months. Most sleep regression spells last between 3 to 6 weeks.
It is important to note that most 8-month-old children still require between 12-15 hours of sleep for 24 hours to remain healthy and grow properly.
Sleep Deprivation in Adults
Sleep deprivation is a huge concern for people who have regular routines or are facing serious life challenges. Without proper sleep, your body would face considerable issues restoring its functions and maintaining your health. In serious cases, it can lead to obstructive sleep apnea, chronic pain, anxiety, and severe depression issues. In the long-term, sleep deprivation can lead to dietary and weight changes, appetite boosting and serious cravings, immunity issues, and a high level of cortisol in your body. In many cases, people’s mental health and well-being can be affected as well. Some people feel very cranky and can have serious mood swings throughout their day. Cognitively, thinking clearly and making the right decisions becomes challenging when sleep deprivation reaches extreme levels.
Tips For Better Sleep
Maintaining a better sleep routine is important to remain fresh and productive. For people facing sleep issues, here are a few steps to ensure better sleep:
- Avoid DIYing sleep medications as they can have potentially dangerous effects in the long term. On the other hand, consult your sleep doctor and discuss the situation to get proper medication prescriptions.
- Avoid long naps during the day as they can lead to sleep problems at night.
- Alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine intake should be minimalized at night to get better sleep.
- The way you sleep is extremely important. Sleep meditation programs spanning a few weeks can be an excellent way to stay fresh and feel better.
- Consider reading something or listening to white noise before sleeping time.
Conclusion
How well you sleep is based on many factors related directly to you. It is preferable to follow a proper sleep routine to remain healthy, fresh, and productive. We hope our article was helpful.
