7 – 8 hours is what you should aim for.  Getting the same amount of sleep each night isn’t always possible.  If you aim for a minimum of 7 hours each night, you’ll have a better chance of enjoying ‘optimal health’.  Research shows that 7 hours is the target for adults from 18 – 60 years of age.

If you regularly sleep less than 7 hours each night, you may be putting yourself at an increased risk for the health conditions above, according to the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.  Research shows that sleeping a minimum of 7 (quality) hours per night strengthens the immune system. 

The blue light your phone emits can boost your attention and reaction times and staring at the screen close to bedtime can wreak havoc on your internal body clock. Research shows that blue light (from mobile phones, TV or computers) before bedtime often prolongs the time it takes to fall asleep, and reduces alertness the next morning.   To fall asleep faster, turn off all electronic devices at least 1 to 2 hours before you want to fall asleep.  If your phone is next to your bed, it should be on flight mode!

While it’s true that you may have short awakenings once or twice during the night, getting up several times -  especially if you struggle to fall back to sleep, or are tired during the day as a result – isn’t something you should ignore.Waking up several times per night is a cause for concern and will most likely affect the way you function during your day.  There could be an underlying medical condition, stress issues or mental health issues which are causing your insomnia.  Please contact us for help, or a referral.

The choices we make during the day can negatively affect the quantity and quality of sleep we get at night. Food, alcohol, smoking and even exercising too close to bed can all interfere with our sleep ‘health’. An easy habit change is to stop caffeine at least 8 hours before the ‘normal’ time you go to bed. Limit your alcohol, it should be used to ‘celebrate’, not obliterate.