Sleep
Unlock restful sleep naturally with solutions that work
It’s estimated that between 20-25% of adults in the US have symptoms of sleep disorders, and most go undiagnosed or treated. Women typically struggle with sleep issues more than men, and approximately 30-40% of adults struggle with insomnia at some point during each year.
Approximately 30% of children have problems sleeping as well. Nightmares, problems falling asleep, restless legs, sleep apnea/mouth breathing, bedwetting, and more can impact children’s sleep patterns.
Sleep is an imperative part of our overall health that is often overlooked. However, when we sleep is when we heal. Sleep is foundational to health and longevity and is a cornerstone I preach to patients. You can’t biohack yourself out of poor quality or not enough sleep. Just like how we must have a clean diet, exercise, and drink clean water…we can’t obtain optimal health without good sleep.
How much sleep do we need?
On average, men need 7-9 hours per night, and yes, it’s true that men don’t need as much sleep as women! Women, I typically recommend they get between 8-10 hours. Of course this is individual, I’ve seen women that do great with 7 hours and some men that only need 6, however, as a general rule of thumb these values hold pretty true.
Children’s sleep requirements change based on their age. While of course every child is different, here are general guidelines:
infants (0-3 months): 14-17 hours, including naps
infants (4-12 months): 12-16 hours, including naps
toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours, including naps
preschool (3-5 years): 10-13 hours, including naps
school age (6-13 years): 9-12 hours
teens (14-17 years): 8-10 hours
How many children - especially school age - don’t meet these requirements? From what I see in practice, a TON. This absolutely affects their ability to focus, function in school, have a robust immune response, and regulate emotionally. Many times with children, they are going to bed way too late. We’ll get into this more as the article continues, but if you or your children are short on sleep - bump up bedtime earlier!
In this article, I’m going to dive deep on the different phases of sleep, why they’re important, what can ‘go wrong’ with our sleep, and lots of practical tips on how to dramatically improve your sleep quality.
