Scientists in Finland have finally cracked the snooze-code, discovering exactly how much sleep we need each night to maintain good health.
The study examined 3,760 participants over a seven-year period and found that women who slept for 7.6 hours each night, and men who slept for 7.8 hours each night, showed the least chance of taking sick days from work.
To help you make the most of your seven-something hours in slumber, we bring you a guide to beauty sleep – outlining the numerous benefits of your time in snooze-town and some sure fire ways to aid a good night’s sleep.
Why is sleep important?
Skin health
We all know how sleepless nights can lead to puffy, tired eyes and lack-lustre skin but there’s more to beauty sleep than that. Our skin goes through a gamut of processes while we slumber. Skin cells renew, old cells are shed from the skin’s surface and repair processes kick in at the deeper epidermis and dermis.
A lack of sleep can disrupt skin renewal and also the body’s natural hormonal fluctuations. Hormones, as well as blood pressure and vascular repair, drastically impact the skin’s resilience and quality. When these systems are out of whack, chances are, your skin’s going to show the damage.
Weight loss
A lack of sleep can affect metabolism, reducing the rate at which we burn kilojoules. Chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to increased rates of obesity and diabetes, according to research at the UK’s University of Warwick, which found that adults who get less than seven hours of sleep a night are twice as likely to become obese.
On the other hand, sufficient quality sleep can even help you lose weight. The theory is that when we are tired, we eat more – and often sugary foods – to try and boost energy.
Happiness
According to a study at the University of Michigan in the US, depression rates are 40 times higher for patients with insomnia and an extra hour of sleep does more for our happiness than a pay rise. Getting enough sleep is crucial to success, health, happiness, even body shape and relationships.
Body repair
Sleep provides an opportunity for the body to repair and rejuvenate itself. Many of the major restorative functions in the body like muscle growth, tissue repair, protein synthesis, and growth hormone release occur mostly, or in some cases only, during sleep.
Common sense
Former US president Bill Clinton has even blames lack of sleep for some of the bad decisions he has made. He once admitted: ‘Every important mistake I’ve made in my life, I’ve made because I was too tired.’ Enough said!
Sleep easy
According to Australia’s Sleep Health Foundation, these are among the most common reasons people don’t get enough rest:
• Too much caffeine, alcohol, cigarettes or sleeping tablets. The caffeine in tea and coffee is a stimulant, as is tobacco. Alcohol may make you drowsy, but your sleep will be very restless. Sleeping tablets may be used occasionally under a doctor’s supervision, but not regularly. They stop working well and you may become addicted.
• Working on shifts that keep changing. This makes it harder to get into a regular sleep pattern. You may need to seek professional help to cope with this.
• Eating, drinking or exercising late. Eating too close to bedtime can cause heartburn and other discomfort. Try to limit fluids before bed so that you don’t have to go to the toilet during the night. Exercising can leave you too hyped up.
• Not having a regular sleep routine. Try to go to bed around the same time every evening and get up at the same time every morning.
• Television, computers and other distractions can interfere with your sleep. Try to avoid using your computer within one hour of bedtime and don’t leave the TV on. Your bed for sleeping, not entertainment (of the technological kind, anyway).
• Taking your worries to sleep. Have a buffer zone before bedtime. Sort out any problems well before going to bed. This may mean setting aside a ‘worry time’ during the day where you work out a plan of action.
• Uncomfortable conditions. You should have a quiet, dark room with comfortable bedding and good temperature control.
• Sleeping too much during the day. If a nap is absolutely necessary, for example because of a late night, then limit this to about 30 minutes. Do not sleep within four hours of officially retiring for the night.
• Watching the clock. If you are having trouble sleeping, it will just make you more anxious to watch time ticking by. If possible take the clock out of your bedroom or at least turn it around so you can’t see the time.
