Get a Good Night’s Sleep

The pace of modern life can make getting a good night’s sleep seem like a pipe dream. But it’s a crucial part of our health and well-being, and missing out on adequate rest raises the risk for everything from obesity and depression to heart disease and dementia. While you’re slumbering, your body is hard at work: Your muscles repair themselves, the brain sweeps out waste, and memories are strengthened. Plus, your immune system gets a chance to recharge.

Back in the 1940s, it was widely believed that your brain and body were dormant during sleep. But scientists are now able to measure changes in your physical and emotional state to reveal that sleep is actually a powerful (and active) process. Scientists spend much of their waking hours trying to understand how these processes happen, and the impact they have on your mental and physical health.

Before the 1950s, it was thought that all mammals, birds and reptiles slept in the same way, but researchers are now aware of many different types of sleep-like states and behaviors. And though the exact reason why mammals sleep remains a mystery, we do know that if you deprive a mammal of sleep it will die.

Research shows that healthy people need seven or more hours of sleep per night, but how many individuals require that amount is very individual. Some people need only about six hours, while others can get away with five or even four. This is because people’s circadian rhythms and the sleep drive, or the urge to fall asleep, determine how long they stay asleep.

The sleep drive builds over the course of a day, until the body feels that it needs to sleep. This is similar to the way that your stomach hungers throughout the day until it reaches a point where you feel full. In addition, your brain releases a hormone during non-REM sleep that promotes the urge to go to bed.

It is also thought that a lack of sleep can lead to an increase in the levels of C-reactive protein in the blood, which contributes to the development of inflammation in the arteries and veins that can damage heart tissue and cause a variety of cardiovascular diseases. The CDC recommends that adults sleep for at least seven or more hours per night.

If you’re not getting enough sleep, try to establish a regular schedule that includes going to bed and rising at the same time each day, as well as limiting caffeine and alcohol intake. In addition, establishing a daily routine that includes exercising, eating well and socializing helps set the stage for a good night’s sleep.