**Overview **
Given the rise of many internet activities that many are times require users to be online for say 12 hours at least, and also the hustle of life generally that has forced many to work extra hours just to make ends meet (which never meet), A whole lot of people are in debt of sleep.
In this article, we shall be looking and
- What is sleep and sleep debt
- Why are many people in sleep debt?
- How much sleep is good for you?
- What professionals are saying about sleep
- What you can do.
WHAT IS SLEEP AND SLEEP DEBT?
For the purpose of this article, we shall adopt the definition given by Wikipedia. It defines it thus: > Sleep is a naturally recurring state of mind and body, characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, inhibition of nearly all voluntary muscles, and reduced interactions with surroundings."
from the above definition, we can say that sleep is a way that we help our brain get rested of her various activities.
On the other hand,SLEEP DEBT. is the accumulated number of time say in hours that one ought to sleep but did not sleep over a given period of time say in Months or in Years.
To understand this better, let's do some mathematical workout: Take the number of nightly hours of sleep one ought to be getting, then subtract from it the amount of sleep one actually get. Keep records for 365 consecutive days, then look at the final amount. Those hours constitute the person's sleep debt for the year.
Now that we have a clearer understanding of Sleep and Sleep debt, let's look at why many people are in sleep debt.
WHY ARE MANY PEOPLE IN SLEEP DEBT?
I still recall when i was called for a position in one discord channel, the first question i was asked was, are you ready to stay minimum of 12 hours online?. just imagine spending at least 12 hours attending to visitors on discord plus other hours spent on my regular job, now you definitely know that my name is boldly written in the sleep debt debtors' book.
A lot of people also spend time on the internet for various purposes - serious business (blogging in Steemit.com , contributing to open source projects in utopian.io watching the coin movement etc) and trivial businesses ( watching movies on fine, some class of posting in facebook.com etc) .
And also the nature of our work or the number of job we are doing. all these and many more can easily make one to be in sleep debt.
HOW MUCH SLEEP IS GOOD FOR YOU
Sleep needs differs across ages and are especially impacted by lifestyle and health. To know how much sleep one needs, it's important to assess not just where one falls on the "sleep needs spectrum," but also to examine what lifestyle factors are affecting the quality and quantity of your sleep such as work schedules and stress.
National Sleep Foundation’s expert recommends the bellow.
Newborns (0-3 months ): Sleep range narrowed to 14-17 hours each day (previously it was 12-18)
Infants (4-11 months): Sleep range widened two hours to 12-15 hours (previously it was 14-15)
Toddlers (1-2 years): Sleep range widened by one hour to 11-14 hours (previously it was 12-14)
Preschoolers (3-5): Sleep range widened by one hour to 10-13 hours (previously it was 11-13)
School age children (6-13): Sleep range widened by one hour to 9-11 hours (previously it was 10-11)
Teenagers.
(14-17): Sleep range widened by one hour to 8-10 hours (previously it was 8.5-9.5)
Younger adults (18-25): Sleep range is 7-9 hours (new age category)
Adults (26-64): Sleep range did not change and remains 7-9 hours
Older adults (65+): Sleep range is 7-8 hours (new age category)
source
What professionals are saying about sleep
When you’re awake, a chemical called adenosine builds up in your blood, and when you sleep, your body breaks it down. Skimp on sleep, however, and adenosine builds up in your bloodstream, making you more and more desperate to snooze. Your reaction time slows, which makes you more prone to dangerous mistakes when driving. A shortage of sleep is to blame for some 100,000 traffic accidents, 76,000 injuries, and 1,500 deaths a year.source
What you can do
Just like with a credit card or a mortgage, sleep debt eventually has to be repaid. And the more you add to it, the bigger your balance. Sleeping in on the weekends (a common practice) is one way that you might try to combat a shortage of weeknight sleep, but it’s usually not the best strategy. If you have to overcome a one- or two-hour sleep debt, it might work. But if you’re under-sleeping by, say, an hour every night, Monday through Friday, you’ll end up with a whopping five hours of sleep debt by the time Saturday rolls around. And sleeping in too much on Saturdays and Sundays can make things worse by throwing off your regular snooze schedule and making it harder to sleep on Sunday night.
When it comes to paying down sleep debt, slow and steady is the way to go. Start by cleaning up your sleep hygiene habits to maximize the hours of snooze time that you get during the week. Even going to bed just 15 minutes earlier each night may help. Stick to a regular sleep and wake schedule, avoid caffeine and alcohol, exercise daily, and relax before bed with a hot bath or a good book instead of electronics (which can disrupt sleep). A daytime nap may also help you catch up, if it’s possible for you to take one regularly.
to pay off or to avoid sleep debt, you must do these:
Stick to a sleep schedule, even on weekends.
Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual.
Exercise daily.
Evaluate your bedroom to ensure ideal temperature, sound and light.
Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows.
Beware of hidden sleep stealers, like alcohol and caffeine.
Turn off electronics before bed.
above all and very importantly, make sleep a priority. You must schedule sleep like any other daily activity, so put it on your "to-do list" and cross it off every night. But don’t make it the thing you do only after everything else is done – stop doing other things so you get the sleep you need.
SPECIAL THANKS TO
thanks for reading and i do hope you find this article helpful.
