How well are you sleeping?
Answer 5 simple questions in our sleep test for a brief evaluation and some advice.
Take the sleep testHow many hours of sleep do you get? Today I'm going to explain why it is recommended that we get at least 8 hours of sleep each night, and talk about the benefits of getting this amount of sleep, as well as including some tips to help you get a good night's sleep.
The answer is yes, you do need 8 hours of sleep per night. However, recently we ran a survey to find out how much sleep you get and the results showed that the majority of you get less than 6 hours sleep! Today I'm going to focus on key points about why you need 8 hours of sleep, including:
So, where did this recommended sleep time come from? The answer seems to lie in an experiment conducted by Thomas Wehr during the 1980s and 1990s. This experiment involved plunging the participants into darkness for 14 hours every day for a month. As you would expect, it took a while for their sleep patterns to regulate but, by the last week, the subjects had settled into a routine whereby they slept 4 hours before awakening for 1 or 2 hours and then going back to sleep for another 4 hours.1
This pattern then seemed to have merged with the idea of getting 8 hours of sleep each night, with any period of wakefulness during the night being perceived as an unfortunate sign of insomnia or sleep deprivation.
I'm sure that many of you will have experienced fatigue, lack of concentration and moodiness after a poor night's sleep. However, there can be much more serious health implications of lack of sleep.
Firstly, efficient sleep can help to maintain a healthy immune system. During sleep your body produces and releases cytokines (proteins that regulate the body's immune response). If you are regularly losing out on sleep your body will produce fewer cytokines, putting you at risk of developing a cold or flu.
Secondly, as I have mentioned in many previous blogs, efficient REM sleep has been associated with improving your memory and concentration. If you do not get enough sleep you may find yourself feeling sluggish the next day and find it hard to concentrate.
Thirdly, there is a direct link between stress and sleep. When the body is under stress, the autonomic nervous system releases both adrenaline and noradrenaline. This can cause you to toss and turn at night before eventually falling asleep. On the other hand, a good night's sleep may help to control your body's stress response system.2
Finally, having a good night's sleep can have a positive impact on your mental health. Serotonin is produced during REM sleep and it should be produced daily. It is often referred to as our feel-good hormone, and research has found that there is a direct link between low serotonin levels, poor sleep and low mood.3
The above evidence suggests that 8 hours of sleep is beneficial to your physical health as well as your mental health. Although sleeping time is individual, it is recommended that you get at least 8 hours of sleep per night. Below, I have included a handy table of The National Sleep Foundation's recommendations for sleep time.4
Age Group | Sleep Duration |
New-borns (0-3 months) | 14-17 hours per day |
Infants (4-11 months) | 12-15 hours per day |
Toddlers (1-2 years) | 11-14 hours |
Preschool children (3-5) | 10-13 hours |
School age children (6-13) | 9-11 hours |
Teenagers (6-13) | 8-10 hours |
Adults (18-64) | 7-9 hours |
Older adults (65+) | 7-8 hours |
If you really are struggling with your sleep, it might be time to consider a gentle herbal remedy like Dormeasan. Prepared using organically cultivated extracts of Valerian and Hops, Dormeasan can help you to achieve a deep, natural sleep.
Below, I have listed some good sleep hygiene practises that may help you to get a better night's sleep:
It is recommended that you get at least 8 hours of sleep per night since this has a positive impact on both your physical and mental health. If you are struggling to get enough sleep try to practise good sleep hygiene or, if you are worried about not getting enough sleep, speak to your doctor.
Originally written on 31st January 2018, updated on 31st December 2019.
We recently ran a poll to find out what helps you get to sleep at night. We've crunched the numbers and here are the results.
48.7% of you said that reading a book helps you to get to sleep at night. This is great to see! Reading is a calming activity that has been linked to reducing stress.
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To find local independent stores in your area that sell Dormeasan Valerian & Hops, simply type your postcode below.
Answer 5 simple questions in our sleep test for a brief evaluation and some advice.
Take the sleep testAs the A. Vogel Sleep advisor, I recommend Dormeasan®, a natural sleep remedy made from fresh extracts of Valerian root and Hops.
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