Make sleep a priority. From sharper thinking to a stronger immune system, quality rest can truly transform your health.
In today’s fast-paced world, many of us are lacking sleep. Over half of the Irish population (56%) get just 7 hours or less of the recommended 7-9 hours sleep per night¹.
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.
Regular good quality sleep supports a healthy immune system and may reduce the risk of developing several chronic conditions such as depression, heart disease and type 2 diabetes ⁴,⁵,⁶
According to research, aiming to get the amount of sleep listed below is optimal ⁷
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.
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
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
Some factors that may contribute to reduced quality of sleep:
• Sleep environment - light, noise and temperature can affect sleep.
• Mental state - Stress and worry can reducesleep 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 at night, 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® Seesta capsules, capsules formulated by herbalist David Foley, to help maintain a healthy sleep pattern naturally. Seesta contains a combination of KSM- 66® Ashwagandha, Hops Flower, Magnesium, Chinese Herbs and Chamomile to help maintain a healthy sleep. Take 1-2 capsules before bed.
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. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31176308/)
3. Dorrian J, Centofanti S, Smith A, McDermott KD. Self-regulation andw social behavior during sleep deprivation (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/31072564/)
4. Li L, Wu C, Gan Y, Qu X, Lu Z. Insomnia and the risk of depression: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. (https:// pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27816065/)
5. 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 (https://pubmed. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24282622/)
6. Grandner MA, Alfonso-Miller P, Fernandez-Mendoza J, Shetty S, Shenoy S, Combs D. Sleep: important considerations for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. (https:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC5056590/)
7. National Sleep Foundation's sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep Health. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ article/abs/pii/S2352721815000157)