Our bodies require a routine to maintain maximum health. That’s true for eating, exercising and sleeping. But too often, our schedules are overbooked and our sleep cycles suffer, reports New Jersey Monthly.
Another common sleep pitfall is sleep debt, the cumulative effect of not getting enough sleep. Some people settle for insufficient sleep during the work week, thinking they can catch up on zzz’s on the weekend. “The sleep scientists don’t think we really make up for it,” says Villa.
The solution to these poor sleep patterns is proper sleep hygiene, the practices needed to achieve quality sleep at night and alertness during the day. These guidelines begin with waking up at the same time seven days a week after getting the appropriate amount of shuteye, which varies based on age. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults get at least seven hours of sleep each night. Dr. Eric Sztejman, a specialist board certified in sleep medicine at Virtua Medical Group, says adults ages 25-72 need seven to nine hours of sleep nightly.
“We need to prepare ourselves to get that amount of sleep so we can actually rejuvenate, rest, relax and allow certain parts of the body to restore [themselves],” says Sztejman.
