We all know sleep is important, yet the magnitude of sleep’s importance is often understated or ignored.
The average person needs around 7-8 hours of sleep. This is for a fully revitalizing sleep; you might have friends who profess they can work on little sleep, and while many people can complete a day’s work while sleep-deprived, this doesn’t make the practice healthy. Sleep deprivation can lead to innumerable health problems, including heart attack, heart disease, heart failure, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes. Not getting enough sleep can also make you more forgetful, accident prone, and increase chances of depression. Additionally, sleep deprived men and women alike can experience a decrease in sex drive.
So while sleep itself is important, the amount and quality of sleep is critical.
There are steps you can take to help regulate and maintain healthy sleeping habits.
Start by trying to find a routine to your sleep. A fixed bedtime is good for adults and children alike. Try to avoid strenuous activity, such as exercise, or even mental activity, such as work, right before bed. Give your body and your mind time to wind down. Softer lighting, mellow music, and reading can help encourage a better night’s rest. Naps are okay here and there, but extremely long naps might be an indication you’re not getting enough rest throughout the night. If you find it hard to keep your eyes open while channel surfing after work, your body is trying to tell you something.
Establishing a good pre-sleep routine is enormously beneficial to getting a completely restorative sleep. But if you have trouble staying asleep, or if your sleeps are fraught with tossing and turning, this might be a sign that your mattress has thrown in the proverbial towel.
What are the benefits of a comfy mattress? Well, there’s the obvious. Comfy mattresses are comfy. But beyond that, the level of mattress comfort directly impacts the amount of quality sleep you get. If you wake up exhausted, stiff, and sore, it might be a sign that your mattress is not your sleep friend. If you find this to be the case morning after morning, it might be time to visit Beautyrest Sleep Gallery and test drive a new mattress.
Have any sleep questions on the brain? Ask away! We want to help make sure your sleeps are sound, so you can wake up and be happy.