Many people think that they get more done in a day because they sleep less. You tell yourself this when you wake up in the morning after another night of not enough sleep while shuffling to the coffee pot with your eyes still half closed. The truth is, you don’t know that you will actually function much better and get more done that day if you have had a healthy amount of sleep.
How Much Sleep is Enough Sleep?
A healthy adult needs to get between 7 to 9 hours of sleep every single night. If you habitually get 5 hours of sleep or less, 7 hours sounds like an excessive amount. You’re probably adding up all the hours you’ll be “wasting” by laying in bed. But this is one guideline you should be taking very, very seriously. Skipping sleep on the regular has very serious and long-term health risks.
Sleepless Nights
Making a habit of not sleeping enough is extremely rough on your body. Sleeping in on the weekend does not make up for the lack of sleep during the week. Chronic sleeplessness can lead to heart disease, weight gain, diabetes and obesity, among other problems. If you don’t regularly get the sleep you need, your life expectancy may be shortened. Is that worth it to you?
Making Time
When the pressures of work and home begin to mount on your shoulders, it seems like a logical and simple solution to simply get less sleep. What’s a couple less hours when you have such a jam-packed schedule? Those hours could be the difference between a better memory, reaction time, and immune/nervous system problems.
Stop skipping sleep to squeeze in more time, and make the time elsewhere. Lighten your load wherever you can. Make meals over the weekend that can be thawed out and cooked later, and have your clothes washed and ready for the week. Consistency is key when trying to create a new schedule in order to get that 7 hours of sleep. Try a eye mask if you need to go to bed before the sun sets in order to get up before the crack of dawn. Do whatever you need to do to get sleep every night to be healthier, more clear headed, and happier!