Sleep 101
Doctors and scientists have long been touting the benefits of sleep for the brain and body. It’s true—sleep is an essential part of maintaining overall well-being. When you are well rested, your mood improves, your stress levels decrease, and you tend to feel more productive.
Beyond quantity of sleep, research has shown that the quality of your sleep matters too. While current guidelines recommend adults get between seven and nine hours of sleep, over a third of Americans do not meet the minimum. It’s too easy to give in to the over-stimulating activities at your fingertips—hello, TikTok—instead of turning the lights off. Minutes scrolling on social media before bed turn into hours, and screens have made it harder to shut off the brain and prepare for a good night’s rest—ever heard of revenge bedtime procrastination?
Getting little sleep is associated with an increased risk of chronic health conditions like heart disease and stroke. Sleeping less also puts people at risk of mental health problems like anxiety and depression. One study found older adults who get five or fewer hours of sleep are at risk for developing multiple chronic conditions. What's more, sleep deprivation increases the risk of motor vehicle accidents that can result in injury and death. So, improving sleep can, in turn, improve our lives. Even following certain sleep habits can increase your life expectancy, per one study.
Sleep basics
How much sleep do I need?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults need at least seven hours of sleep. For those 65 and older, the CDC recommends between seven and eight hours of sleep each night.
Why is it harder to sleep for older adults?
As people age, it can be harder to maintain the quantity and quality of sleep. Age-related brain changes can lead to more nighttime wake-ups and a more challenging time falling asleep and staying asleep. Experts recommend shutting off screens well before lights out, relaxing before bed, and moving throughout the day.
Falling asleep
How can I get better sleep?
- Establish a wind-down routine: Maintain nighttime habits that bring you a sense of calm for 30 minutes to an hour before bed, like reading, journaling, taking a shower, listening to music, or preparing your clothes for the morning. Wind-down time can also be to simply relax, as the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends establishing an hour of “quiet time” before bed to maintain a healthy circadian rhythm or natural body clock.
- Limit screen time before bed: Limiting stimulation from screens right before bedtime can help people fall asleep better. Consider setting a time limit on your screens to signal your winddown is approaching, or put your phone in a drawer so you aren't tempted to check it while in bed.
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Avoid heavy meals: Eating a large meal right before bed can make it harder to fall asleep when your body is digesting. More so, diets rich in inflammatory foods are associated with poorer sleep. Avoid consistently consuming chips, cookies, soda, and fried foods. When reaching for a nighttime snack, consider grabbing something anti-inflammatory, with nutrients and fiber to make you feel full. Experts recommend:
- Fruit
- Nuts
- Yogurt
- Whole grains
- Maintain optimal sleep temperature: Sleep experts recommend your bedroom stays between 68 and 72 degrees. You can also keep your room cool by opening windows, using fans, wearing light clothes, or inquiring about a cooling mattress.
- Keep the same bedtime and wake-up times: Having a consistent schedule helps alert your body to being tired at night and awake in the morning around the same times. To align with your body's natural release of melatonin, shut off the lights within two to three hours of sunset. And going to bed before midnight ensures you spend enough time in deep sleep. One study published this year found sleep regularity helped predict mortality risk more than sleep duration (If you work non-traditional hours that tend to fluctuate and struggle with sleep quality, you may consider speaking with a sleep specialist who can help provide additional remedies).
- Limit alcohol use before bed: While alcohol may appear to help you fall asleep, it does not contribute to adequate quality of sleep. Sleep disturbances are a critical indicator of alcohol abuse disorder. While no amount of alcohol is beneficial for health outcomes, national guidelines recommend drinkers to limit to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.
- Wake up calmly: Instead of a blaring alarm tone signaling a busy day’s start, try a progressive sound or a song you enjoy. “You don’t want to begin your day on a stressful note,” Dr. James Giordano, professor of neurology and biochemistry at Georgetown University Medical Center, previously told Fortune. “Days are stressful enough.”
- Monitor coffee: Experts recommend ending caffeine intake six to eight hours before bed, although the effects differ per person so trial and error is key.
Troubleshooting sleep
How can I sleep when I am stressed?
- Allot time to worry: It’s impossible to tell our brains to shut off the noise and the worries. Wendy Troxel, a sleep scientist at the Rand Corporation and author of Sharing the Covers: Every Couple’s Guide to Better Sleep, recommends allotting 10 to 15 minutes to worry. Write them down, and then close the cover literally and figuratively.
- Practice daily mindfulness: Feeling stressed at night is usually because of residual feelings from the day. Practicing mindfulness during the day, such as a five to 10-minute meditation during a lunch break or the 4-7-8 breathing exercise. The best meditation apps could help you get started.
- Use gratitudes before bed: Thinking or writing down gratitudes can help you feel calm and appreciative before you go to bed—refocusing your attention on the things going well for you over the things you feel stressed about. What you tell yourself impacts how you feel about yourself, and your ability to fall asleep.
- Don’t be hard on yourself: Lying awake in the middle of the night can feel torturous. But it makes it worse to feel frustrated with yourself for not being able to doze off when it may feel like everyone else is asleep but you. It’s normal to be unable to sleep, especially when overwhelmed. Give yourself grace.
Get more tips to fall asleep when you're stressed.
Does napping improve sleep?
If you're a lover of the siesta, a standard daily practice in Italy and Spain to rest after lunch and before the evening hours roll in, don't fret. Napping can be helpful in increasing restfulness during the day. However, there is a sweet spot duration that will help you without harming your night's sleep.
The Romans were onto something, as the midday slump seems to roll in like clockwork at around 3 p.m. One expert says a successful siesta is between 15 to 25 minutes to ensure you still have a restful night’s sleep. “When we nap much longer, we may cycle into deeper stages of sleep, which may be harder to wake from," Alaina Tiani, PhD, a clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic Sleep Disorders Center, previously told Fortune.
Power naps may also be better for brain health and delay brain shrinkage.
Should I take melatonin?
Melatonin is our body’s natural hormone released when it’s time to go to bed. Taking a melatonin supplement can help shift your circadian rhythm and signal to your body that it’s time to get sleep earlier than you may have been able to. Therefore, it may help people sleep earlier and longer.
However, experts recommend between one and five milligrams of melatonin for adults, and many pharmacy-sold brands do not have clear dosage labels.
And more, short-term use has not been associated with complications, but the supplement has not been studied for long-term use in adults.
Read more about melatonin.
What can I do after a poor night’s sleep?
- Move: Getting immediate sunlight can help wake our bodies up even after a bad night’s sleep. And if you wake up before your alarm, it’s okay to get up and move around before trying to get back to sleep.
- Eat: Eating a nutritious breakfast rich in protein and fiber can help keep us energized during the day.
- Breathe: Deep breathing and calming our brain and bodies can help us stay focused after a bad night’s sleep.
Read more about how to bounce back after a poor night’s sleep.
How do I know if I have a sleep disorder?
Most experts say if you notice you have trouble falling and staying asleep more than three times a week for three months or more, it’s important to see a sleep specialist to review any potential disorders at play. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is commonly used to treat insomnia, and sleep medication is prescribed as necessary.
