Tracking Sleep: Counting Hours For Better Health

Sleep is a critical pillar of health and can be calculated in a variety of ways. The amount of sleep one needs depends on multiple factors, such as age, genetics, and daily levels of exercise. Generally, newborns need the most sleep, with adults requiring 7-9 hours per night. A sleep calculator can be used to determine the optimal amount of sleep and the best times for falling asleep and waking up. This is based on the number of sleep cycles completed, which typically last 90 minutes each and should be completed 4-6 times per night. Sleep quality can also be measured by how rested one feels upon waking and the difficulty falling and staying asleep.

Recommended sleep times by age group

The amount of sleep a person needs varies according to their age, with infants requiring the most sleep at 14-17 hours per day, including naps. As people get older, they generally need less sleep.

Birth to 3 months

Newborns' sleep needs vary widely and can range from 11 to 19 hours per 24-hour period. However, from birth to 3 months, newborns typically require 14 to 17 hours of sleep per day, including naps.

4 to 11 months

From 4 to 11 months of age, the recommended amount of sleep is 12 to 16 hours per day, including naps.

1 to 2 years

For children aged 1 to 2 years, the recommended sleep range is 11 to 14 hours per day, including naps.

3 to 5 years

Preschoolers aged 3 to 5 years old should get 10 to 13 hours of sleep per day, including naps.

6 to 12 years

School-aged children between 6 and 12 years old typically need 9 to 12 hours of sleep per day.

13 to 18 years

Teenagers in the 13 to 18 age bracket should aim for 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night.

18 to 64 years

Healthy adults aged 18 to 64 years generally need at least 7 hours of sleep, with the ideal amount ranging from 7 to 9 hours per night.

65 years and older

Older adults aged 65 and above require slightly less sleep, with the recommended amount being 7 to 8 hours per night.

It is important to note that these recommendations serve as a general guideline, and individual sleep needs may vary. Factors such as activity level, overall health, daily schedule, and temperament can influence the amount of sleep a person needs. Additionally, sleep quality is just as important as quantity, and maintaining good sleep hygiene practices can help ensure a restful night's sleep.

How to calculate the best time to go to bed

The best time to go to bed depends on your wake-up time and natural sleep cycles. The average sleep cycle is 90 minutes long, and a typical night of sleep includes 5 full sleep cycles. Therefore, a good night's sleep is approximately 7.5 hours long.

To calculate your bedtime, start with your desired wake-up time and work backwards in 7.5-hour increments. For example, if you need to wake up at 6 am, your ideal bedtime is 10:30 pm. This calculation is a starting point and may need adjustments, as individual sleep cycles vary in duration.

The goal is to wake up naturally about 5 to 10 minutes before your alarm. If you consistently wake up significantly before your alarm, move your bedtime slightly later in 15-minute increments until you're waking up just before your alarm goes off.

It's important to prioritize quality sleep by maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends. This helps regulate your circadian rhythms, or your internal clock, and improves your body's ability to wake up naturally. Additionally, creating a bedtime routine, optimizing your bedroom environment, and avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine before bed can all contribute to better sleep quality.

Calculating your sleep needs and cycles can help you wake up feeling refreshed and ensure you're getting enough sleep. This is crucial for your overall health and well-being, as sleep affects everything from weight and metabolism to brain function and mood.

How to improve sleep and sleep hygiene

Sleep is essential for our health and emotional well-being. The amount of sleep we need changes as we age, and it can be calculated by multiplying the average sleep cycle of 90 minutes by 5, which equals 7.5 hours. This can be adjusted according to individual sleep cycles.

Set a Sleep Schedule

• Have a fixed wake-up time, even on weekends, to get into a consistent rhythm of sleep.
• Prioritize sleep and calculate a target bedtime based on your wake-up time.
• Make gradual adjustments to your sleep schedule if needed, in small steps of up to an hour or two.
• Avoid oversleeping during the day, and keep naps short and in the early afternoon.

Follow a Nightly Routine

• Keep your pre-sleep routine consistent, including activities like changing into pajamas and brushing your teeth.
• Take 30 minutes to wind down with calming activities like soft music, light stretching, reading, or relaxation exercises.
• Dim the lights as bright lights can hinder melatonin production.
• Unplug from electronic devices 30-60 minutes before bed as they cause mental stimulation and emit blue light, which can disrupt sleep.
• Practice relaxation techniques like meditation, mindfulness, and paced breathing.
• If you can't fall asleep, get up and do something calming in low light, like stretching or reading.

Cultivate Healthy Daily Habits

• Get exposure to daylight, especially sunlight, to encourage quality sleep through your body's circadian rhythms.
• Be physically active through regular exercise, but avoid working out too close to bedtime as it may make it harder to fall asleep.
• Avoid smoking as nicotine disrupts sleep.
• Reduce alcohol consumption, especially later in the evening, as it can cause sleep disturbances.
• Cut down on caffeine in the afternoon and evening as it is a stimulant that can keep you wired.
• Avoid heavy, spicy, or large meals close to bedtime, as they may disrupt sleep and cause digestive issues.
• Limit liquid consumption before bed to reduce the likelihood of midnight bathroom breaks.
• Only use your bed for sleep and sexual activity to build a mental association between your bed and sleep.

Optimize Your Bedroom

• Have a comfortable mattress and pillow to ensure pain-free sleep.
• Use bedding, sheets, and blankets that suit your needs and preferences.
• Keep your bedroom at a cool and comfortable temperature, ideally around 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Block out light with heavy curtains or an eye mask to prevent interruptions to your sleep.
• Drown out noise with earplugs, a white noise machine, or a fan to help you stay asleep.
• Try using calming scents like lavender, which may induce a calmer state of mind and create a positive space for sleep.

How to optimise my sleep cycle

Sleep is essential for our health and well-being, but many of us struggle to get enough of it. One of the reasons is that we don’t follow our natural sleep cycle, which is influenced by our circadian rhythm and melatonin levels.

How to Optimise Your Sleep Cycle:

Understand your circadian rhythm

The circadian rhythm is a 24-hour internal clock that regulates biological processes such as hormone production, body temperature, and sleep-wake cycles. It is synchronized with the external environment, especially the light-dark cycle. When it gets dark, our brain produces more melatonin, a hormone that makes us feel sleepy. When it gets light, our melatonin levels drop, and we feel more alert.

Align your sleep cycle with your circadian rhythm

Go to bed and wake up at consistent times that match your natural body clock. Keep those times constant across weekdays and weekends. This will help you optimise your sleep cycle and enjoy the benefits of a good night's rest.

Avoid disruptive factors

Certain factors can interfere with your melatonin production or sleep quality. These include caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, blue light, noise, and stress. Limit or avoid these factors in the hours before bedtime.

Create a comfortable and dark sleeping environment

Make your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet. Remove electronic devices like TVs and computers to help eliminate distractions.

Practice relaxation techniques

Try some relaxation techniques before bed, such as meditation, yoga, listening to soothing music, or reading. This can help you wind down and prepare for sleep.

Be mindful of light exposure

Exposure to natural light in the morning can promote better synchronization of your internal clock. However, keeping your lights on long into the evening can prevent your body from properly transitioning towards sleep.

Cut down on evening screen time

Smartphones and other devices emit blue light, which can affect your circadian timing. Avoid using your phone, tablet, or laptop for at least an hour before bed to improve your sleep quality.

Commit to physical activity

Regular exercise promotes healthy sleep. Aim to finish workouts a couple of hours before bed to give your body time to relax before sleep.

Have a bedtime routine

Follow the same steps each night before going to bed, such as dimming the lights, putting on pajamas, and brushing your teeth. Over time, these actions become cues that tell your body it's time for sleep.

Be careful with naps

While naps can be restorative, they can also disrupt your sleep routine. Keep naps under 30 minutes and only in the early afternoon to prevent nighttime sleep disruptions.

Limit alcohol and caffeine

Alcohol and caffeine can be detrimental to a healthy sleep routine. Alcohol can cause sleep disturbances, and caffeine can make it difficult to fall asleep and lead to restlessness.

Cultivate an inviting sleep environment

In addition to keeping your bedroom dark and quiet, consider a comfortable temperature and soothing smells, like lavender, to promote relaxation and provide cues for sleep.

Make gradual, consistent adjustments

If you need to adjust your sleep schedule, make gradual changes over a series of days. Focus first on your wake-up time, then use good sleep hygiene habits to incrementally adjust your bedtime.

Track your sleep

Use a sleep diary or sleep-tracking technology to monitor your sleep quality and quantity. This can help you identify any issues and make necessary improvements.

The effects of sleep deprivation on your body

Sleep deprivation can have a range of effects on the body. Here are some of the most common ones:

• Central nervous system -- Sleep is necessary to keep your central nervous system functioning properly, but chronic insomnia can disrupt how your body usually sends and processes information. During sleep, pathways form between nerve cells in your brain that help you remember new information. Sleep deprivation leaves your brain exhausted, so it can't perform its duties as well. You may also find it more difficult to concentrate or learn new things. The signals your body sends may also be delayed, decreasing your coordination and increasing your risk for accidents. Sleep deprivation also negatively affects your mental abilities and emotional state. You may feel more impatient or prone to mood swings. It can also compromise decision-making processes and creativity. If sleep deprivation continues long enough, you could start having hallucinations -- seeing or hearing things that aren't really there. A lack of sleep can also trigger mania in people who have bipolar mood disorder.
• Immune system -- During sleep, your immune system produces protective, infection-fighting substances like antibodies and cytokines. Sleep deprivation prevents your immune system from building up its forces. If you don't get enough sleep, your body may not be able to fend off invaders, and it may also take you longer to recover from illness.
• Weight gain -- Sleep affects the levels of two hormones, leptin and ghrelin, which control feelings of hunger and fullness. Without enough sleep, your brain reduces leptin and raises ghrelin, which is an appetite stimulant. The flux of these hormones could explain nighttime snacking or why someone may overeat later in the night. A lack of sleep can also make you feel too tired to exercise. Over time, reduced physical activity can make you gain weight because you're not burning enough calories and not building muscle mass.
• Cardiovascular system -- Sleep affects processes that keep your heart and blood vessels healthy, including those that affect your blood sugar, blood pressure, and inflammation levels. It also plays a vital role in your body's ability to heal and repair the blood vessels and heart. People who don't sleep enough are more likely to get cardiovascular disease. One analysis linked insomnia to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Frequently asked questions