World Sleep Day 2023: How Many Hours Of Sleep Is Required For A Healthy Lifestyle?

Lack of sleep can affect your health badly in many ways but how much sleep is actually required? Here’s how much one should sleep as per age, weight and physical activity.

World sleep day 2023

World Sleep Day 2023: Sleep is essential for a good day and a healthy lifestyle. But nowadays, most people don't get enough time to rest even during the night hours due to the unhealthy lifestyle one has created. Lack of sleep drains one’s mental abilities and can lead to serious health issues. During school days, students are taught the importance of sleep for a healthy lifestyle. Though one focuses on the kind of diet one is taking, sleep is something we do take for granted. Hence, it’s time to change that. 

March 17 is observed as ‘World Sleep Day’, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of sleep. But how much sleep is actually important on a daily basis? Though there is a common belief that everyone needs at least 8 hours of sleep, everybody has different requirements. Each body requires a different amount of sleep depending on age, weight, and activity level on a daily basis. 

How Many Hours Of Sleep Is Required Daily

As per media reports, sleep duration varies from person to person, depending on age, weight, physical activity on a daily basis, etc. 

- It is believed that adults should sleep at least 7-9 hours a day. 

- Senior citizens or people above the age of 65 should sleep for at least 7-8 hours. 

- People in their pre-teens or teenagers should at least sleep 9-11 hours a day. 

- Babies should at least get up to 17 hours of sleep. 

Diseases Caused By Too Much Sleeping

Sleeping over 9-10 hours can be considered too much sleep and can lead to fatigue, lethargy, and grogginess. This can also be seen in some disease conditions such as hypothyroidism, depression, diabetes, obesity, and sleep apnea. Individuals who are on certain medications or health conditions might require slightly more than the normal sleep duration of sleep.

Diseases Caused By Sleep Deprivation

Sleeping less than five hours a night is associated with a 74 percent increased risk of developing peripheral artery disease (PAD) compared with seven to eight hours of shut-eye, a study has found. The researchers noted that over 200 million people globally have PAD, where the vessels in the legs are clogged, restricting blood flow and increasing the risk of stroke and heart attack.

Reasons Behind Poor Sleeping Patterns

Poor Diet Patterns

One should consume a balanced diet as good nutrition is required for good sleep. One should consume foods that contain naturally occurring melatonin such as grapes, cherries, broccolis corn, tomato, mango, pomegranate, olive, cucumber, oats, rice, and barley. Further, one can also add nuts such as peanuts, and walnuts for good sleep. 

Too Much Caffeine Consumption 

Caffeine gives instant energy and helps us get through the day but consuming it late in the evening can disrupt the sleeping cycle. Hence it is not advised to consume caffeine after 4 pm. 

Sleeping During Day Time 

Afternoon naps for over half an hour can hamper our sleep at night. Hence, one should not sleep for more than 20-30 minutes in the afternoon. 

Stress And Negative Thoughts

Overthinking or lack of work-life balance is one of the major reasons for wakefulness at night. Reading a light novel, or listening to music can help you sleep better. 

(Disclaimer: The information in this article is based on general information and does not substitute for an expert's advice. Zee News does not confirm this.)