Do You Have Sleep Problems?

With busy lives and high stress levels most of us feel as though we don’t get enough sleep. The proper amount of sleep for each person does vary, but there are several factors that effect whether you need more or less rest. The most basic guidelines for sleep requirements can be broken down by age:

1. Newborns (1-2 months) need 10.5 to 18 hours/day
2. Infants (3-11 months) need 11 to 15 hours/day
3. Toddler (1-3 years) need 12 to 14 hours/day
4. Preschoolers (3-5 years) need 11 to 13 hours/day
5. School aged (6-12 years) need 10 to 11 hours/day
6. Teenagers (13-19 years) need 9 to 9.5 hours/day
7. Adults- need 7-9 hours/day
8. Elderly- need 7-9 hours/day

Issues like exposure to constant stress may require a person to need more sleep. Working against your actual body chemistry, stress is a large issue in sleeplessness. Stress builds up toxins in the body, which elevates your temperature at night. This makes it more difficult to go to sleep comfortably. When deep sleep is obtained, these toxins are broken down and eliminated allowing an individual to awaken feeling rested and alert. Obviously, the less stress you are under, the more effective and recuperative your sleep becomes.

Many of us try to catch up on our missed ”zzz’s” with naps. Though taking a mid-afternoon nap might make you feel alert afterwards, it actually interrupts your biological sleep cycle. It also makes getting a good night’s sleep difficult. Many times people who nap, toss and turn a lot at night and waken feeling restless and tired. Experts recommend that instead of taking a mid-afternoon nap, a person should merely go to bed earlier.

Even teens have specific needs and time schedules for adequate sleep. Teenagers often have what experts call a “delayed” sleep cycle. This sleep pattern allows them to stay up later, but doesn’t negate their need for 9 to 9.5 hours of nightly rest. During sleep, the hormone and chemical cycles of a teenager are most active allowing their bodies to fully recover from the strains of school studies and athletics. Both the quantity and quality of sleep for a teen are vital in their growth, cognitive and overall development.

Regardless of your age and the amount of sleep necessary, comfort is a major issue in obtaining adequate sleep. Having an improper sized bed pillow is a common problem for everyone from children to the elderly. My Ideal Pillow has developed a breakthrough-computerized custom pillow fitting system that addresses this problem. The calculations used in this system take into consideration one’s characteristics such as gender, sleep position, height, weight, chest size, head size, mattress density in order to match a bed pillow that is customized to you. With sleep being such a valuable asset, personalized comfort increases your ability to obtain deep sleep. For more information on sleep requirements or possible sleep problems consult your health care provider and /or visit www.myidealpillow.com

The National Sleep Foundation, Washington, D.C., Science of Sleep; Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc