As children and teens head back to school and routines become more structured, it can be a good time to prioritise sleep as part of our new schedules.
In today’s fast-paced world there’s a lot of us lacking sleep on a regular basis. Over half of the Irish population (56%) get just 7 hours or less of the recommended 7-9 hours sleep per night(1).
Importance of quality sleep
Like maintaining a balanced diet and exercising, sleep is essential to our health and wellbeing. Getting adequate sleep keeps the brain functioning optimally. Cognition, concentration, productivity, memory and performance are improved with healthy sleeping patterns and we’re also better able to control our emotions(2,3,4,5,6).
Regular good quality sleep supports a healthy immune system(7) and may reduce the risk of developing several chronic conditions such as depression, heart disease and type 2 diabetes(8,9,10).
According to research, aiming to get the amount of sleep listed below is optimal(11):
Age Sleep Recommendation
65 and up 7 to 8 hours
18 to 64 years old 7 to 9 hours
14 to 17 years old 8 to 10 hours
6 to 13 years old 9 to 11 hours
Signs you're not getting enough sleep
Sleep recommendations fall within a range. While some people can function well on the lower end of the scale, others need every minute of the upper limit.
However, it has also been suggested that a sort of tolerance to sleep deprivation can be developed. People who are regularly lacking in sleep may not be aware of the effects because less sleep feels normal to them.
Some signs to look out for that indicate you might not be getting adequate sleep:
• Lack of energy
• Difficulty concentrating
• Poor memory
• Irritability or moodiness
• Increased appetite
• Decreased libido
• More prone to illness
Causes of poor sleep
There are many factors that may contribute to reduced quality of sleep. These include:
• Sleep environment - light, noise and temperature can affect sleep
• Mental state - Stress and worry can reduce sleep quality
• Diet - Eating a large meal before bed, consuming caffeine or alcohol, and smoking can contribute to sleep issues
• Age - older people tend to have more trouble sleeping due to natural circadian body clock changes
• Menopause symptoms - hot flushes can make it harder to sleep and low oestrogen levels can lead to more frequent urination
• Medication - talk to your GP if your medicines stop you from falling asleep or make you sleepy during the day
Developing good sleep hygiene habits
Changing long standing habits can be challenging. Getting into a good sleep pattern may take weeks, but you can do it by making small changes at a time.
To start, try heading to bed at the same time every night, to allow your body to settle into a regular sleep-wake schedule. Taking 15 minutes for reading, meditation, journaling, or a warm bath may make it easier to wind down in the evening.
You might also consider trying Irish Botanica® Seésta capsules which contain a combination of KSM-66® Ashwagandha, Hops Flower, Magnesium, Chinese Herbs and Chamomile, which helps to maintain a healthy sleep pattern.
For a fuller list of sleep tips, read them here.
1. Department of Health. 'Healthy Ireland : summary report 2019'. (https://assets.gov.ie/41141/e5d6fea3a59a4720b081893e11fe299e.pdf)
2. Hudson AN, Van Dongen HPA, Honn KA. Sleep deprivation, vigilant attention, and brain function: a review. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2020 Jan;45(1):21-30. doi: 10.1038/s41386-019-0432-6. PMID: 31176308; PMCID: PMC6879580. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31176308/)
3. Eugene AR, Masiak J. The Neuroprotective Aspects of Sleep. MEDtube Sci. 2015 Mar;3(1):35-40. PMID: 26594659; PMCID: PMC4651462. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4651462/)
4. Krause AJ, Simon EB, Mander BA, Greer SM, Saletin JM, Goldstein-Piekarski AN, Walker MP. The sleep-deprived human brain. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2017 Jul;18(7):404-418. doi: 10.1038/nrn.2017.55. PMID: 28515433; PMCID: PMC6143346. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6143346/)
5. Dorrian J, Centofanti S, Smith A, McDermott KD. Self-regulation and social behavior during sleep deprivation. Prog Brain Res. 2019;246:73-110. doi: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2019.03.010. PMID: 31072564. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31072564/)
6. Beattie L, Kyle SD, Espie CA, Biello SM. Social interactions, emotion and sleep: A systematic review and research agenda. Sleep Med Rev. 2015 Dec;24:83-100. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2014.12.005. PMID: 25697832. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25697832/)
7. Besedovsky L, Lange T, Haack M. The Sleep-Immune Crosstalk in Health and Disease. Physiol Rev. 2019 Jul 1;99(3):1325-1380. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00010.2018. PMID: 30920354; PMCID: PMC6689741. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30920354/)
8. Li L, Wu C, Gan Y, Qu X, Lu Z. Insomnia and the risk of depression: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. BMC Psychiatry. 2016 Nov 5;16(1):375. doi: 10.1186/s12888-016-1075-3. PMID: 27816065; PMCID: PMC5097837. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27816065/)
9. Holliday EG, Magee CA, Kritharides L, Banks E, Attia J. Short sleep duration is associated with risk of future diabetes but not cardiovascular disease: a prospective study and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2013 Nov 25;8(11):e82305. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082305. PMID: 24282622; PMCID: PMC3840027. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24282622/)
10. Grandner MA, Alfonso-Miller P, Fernandez-Mendoza J, Shetty S, Shenoy S, Combs D. Sleep: important considerations for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Curr Opin Cardiol. 2016 Sep;31(5):551-65. doi: 10.1097/HCO.0000000000000324. PMID: 27467177; PMCID: PMC5056590. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5056590/)
11. Hirshkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert SM, Alessi C, Bruni O, DonCarlos L, Hazen N, Herman J, Katz ES, Kheirandish-Gozal L, Neubauer DN, O'Donnell AE, Ohayon M, Peever J, Rawding R, Sachdeva RC, Setters B, Vitiello MV, Ware JC, Adams Hillard PJ. National Sleep Foundation's sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep Health. 2015 Mar;1(1):40-43. doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2014.12.010. PMID: 29073412. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352721815000157)