Getting Enough Sleep

Do you get enough sleep?

Most people don't. For caregivers, sleep becomes one more thing squeezed out by competing demands. You might catch up a bit on weekends, but if you're relying on that recovery time or dragging through your days, you're probably not sleeping enough most nights.

Healthy adults typically need 6 to 8 hours of sleep, with most doing best around 8 hours. Most people get significantly less.

Sleep deprivation has real consequences. You lose patience more easily, your emotions become harder to manage, your mood dips, and you get sick more often. The risks extend beyond daily functioning—drowsy driving causes more than 70,000 accidents annually, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Many Americans underestimate how important sleep is, so few treat it as a priority. William Dement, founder of Stanford University's Sleep Disorders Center, calls the lack of awareness a national emergency. He points out that sleep affects longevity more than diet, exercise, or genetics—and notes that the costs are real: "lost lives, lost income, disability, reduced productivity, accidents and decreased quality of family and social life."

Are you sleep deprived? Thomas Roth, director of the Sleep Disorders and Research Center at Henry Ford Hospital, says: "If you're falling asleep at times when you don't plan to, that's a sign you're not getting enough sleep." Other signs include:

• Struggling to stay awake during inactive periods like watching TV or reading
• Feeling tired when you wake up
• Needing an alarm clock to wake up consistently
• Waking up frequently and having trouble falling back asleep
• Falling asleep after a heavy meal
• Having trouble remembering things or concentrating
• Needing a nap most days
• Sleeping significantly longer on weekends
• What you can do to get more sleep

Sleep debt is hard to manage, especially when modern life keeps stretching your days and shortening your nights. Roth recommends aiming for at least eight hours nightly, making up for lost sleep on weekends when you can, and napping if possible. He pushes back against the idea that sleep is a luxury. "There's a belief that productive people sleep less," Roth says. "But that's wrong. Sleep isn't wasted time."

Sleep problems like insomnia and sleep apnea worsen the national sleep shortage. The National Sleep Foundation suggests these steps to improve your sleep:

• Reduce or eliminate caffeine
• Avoid alcohol
• Drink less fluid before bed
• Keep a consistent sleep and wake schedule
• Avoid nicotine
• Avoid heavy meals close to bedtime
• Exercise regularly, but finish at least three hours before bed
• Try a relaxing routine, such as a warm bath, before sleep

"People are generally poor at judging how sleepy they really are or how close they are to falling asleep," Dement says. "This puts them at risk of a serious accident. Sleep debt always catches up with you."

Additional sources for information on sleep
For more information on sleep deprivation and sleep problems, check these resources, which offer detailed descriptions and prevention strategies:

• National Sleep Foundation: http://www.sleepfoundation.org/
• Stanford University Sleep Disorders Center: http://www.stanford.edu/%7Edement/#swi
• Center on Sleep Disorders Research (part of the National Institutes of Health)