What determines whether we sleep well? – Everything that's important f

Sleep is vital, yet often we don't pay enough attention to getting enough quality sleep. How much rest should we get each night? What are the most important sleep phases, and why is it essential to reach deep sleep? What can help ensure undisturbed and restful sleep? We will now answer all these questions.

How many hours should we sleep?

For our body to function healthily, not only is the right amount of sleep essential, but its quality is also crucial. An adult generally needs 7-9 hours of sleep per day, but this duration can be influenced by many factors, including our lifestyle and age.

It is a fact that neither too much nor too little sleep is healthy, and sleep deprivation can even affect our well-being. If we regularly sleep more than 9-10 hours a night, it's worth investigating why our body requires a longer-than-average rest period. Moreover, this habit can also disrupt our biological clock, leading to increased fatigue in the long run.

Good sleep is vital, just like nutrition, because without it, we can easily fall ill. Restful sleep has an incredible number of beneficial effects: for example, it aids muscle and brain regeneration and strengthens our immune system.

Besides our age and lifestyle, our activity level can also influence how much sleep we need. This is supported by the fact that developing and constantly active preschoolers might need up to 14 hours of sleep, while an adult typically needs a maximum of 9 hours.

How much sleep does each age group need?

The American National Sleep Foundation defines the ideal amount of sleep for 9 main age groups:

Newborns (0-3 months): 14-17 hours;
Infants (4-11 months): 12-15 hours;
Toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours;
Preschoolers (3-5 years): 10-13 hours;
School-age children (6-13 years): 9-11 hours;
Teenagers (14-17 years): 8-10 hours;
Young adults (18-25 years): 7-9 hours;
Adults (26-64 years): 7-9 hours;
Seniors (65 years and older) 7-8 hours

Myth:

Seniors need less sleep: even those over 65 still need at least 7-8 hours for proper body regeneration. It's true that older adults typically sleep more lightly and wake up more often at night, which can lead to more napping during the day.

Good advice – When do you need more rest?

Everyone is different, so if we feel tired even after what is considered an ideal amount of sleep, we probably need more rest. This is also true when ill, because our body regenerates during sleep, and the resting state unburdens it, making healing easier.

Why do we need good quality sleep?

Good quality sleep is undisturbed, allowing the sleep phases to repeat multiple times. If we regularly don't sleep well, long-term sleep deprivation can lead to serious illnesses such as depression, diabetes, or various cardiovascular diseases.

Sleep phases

The phases of sleep can be divided into 5 main stages, which cyclically repeat throughout the night, usually 5-6 times: 4 non-REM stages and 1 REM stage. One sleep cycle lasts approximately 90-120 minutes. As the night progresses, the duration of deep sleep phases decreases, while the duration of REM sleep increases.

The non-REM stages:

Non-REM sleep accounts for 80 percent of sleep time.

Drowsiness (5-10% of sleep): the transition between wakefulness and sleep; brain activity slows, muscle tone decreases, and eye movements slow down.
Shallow sleep (50% of sleep): Sleep deepens, heart rate and breathing slow, body temperature and muscle tone decrease, and eye movements stop.
Medium-deep sleep (5-10% of sleep): characterized by extremely slow brain waves, blood pressure drops, and breathing slows.
Deep sleep (15-20% of sleep): the deepest sleep stage; brain activity slows down, the body relaxes and regenerates.

The REM stage:

REM is rapid eye movement sleep, observed during 20 percent of sleep time. Brain activity suddenly increases, similar to wakefulness or drowsiness, eyes move rapidly, but muscle tone is absent. Dreams appear in this stage. This stage is important for learning and memory.

Tips for better sleep:

Harness the power of nature: natural active ingredients – e.g., herbal tea, herbal extract tablets, essential oils – can promote restful sleep.
Tune into sleep, relax with soothing music, practice breathing exercises, avoid watching TV, using phones, or computers before bedtime!
Establish an evening routine: try to go to bed at roughly the same time every day, and have a set sequence of actions you perform each evening!
Create a comfortable bedroom: use calming colors and pleasant furnishings; everything should serve your rest!
Ensure your bed and mattress are comfortable: a comfortable, ideal mattress for you is key to restful sleep. It is particularly important that it supports deep sleep, which is a very crucial sleep stage, as this is when we regenerate.