More than one in three U.S. adults report getting less than the recommended amount of sleep per night. 13 The trouble for some is falling asleep, while for others it’s waking up several times throughout the night, or a combination of both. There are a number of factors that can lead to disrupted sleep or occasional sleeplessness. These include lifestyle habits, night shift work, artificial light, light-emitting devices used at or near bedtime, or jet lag.
Whatever the cause of occasional sleeplessness, the lack of sleep can affect how you feel, how you look, and how well you perform during the day.14 Taking a proactive approach to getting better quality sleep is just as important to your health as diet and exercise.
Far from switching off during sleep, your body remains active working just as hard as when you’re awake to restore your body’s energy levels, to repair muscles and cells, and renew a variety of body systems. 14-15 Sufficient quality sleep helps the brain process information, improves memory recall, and reduces mental fatigue.16
To obtain the full range of benefits of restorative sleep, the average adult should be getting around seven or more hours of quality sleep each night.15 There are a few general tips for achieving better sleep at night. These include being physically active during the day, going to bed at the same time consistently each night (including on the weekends), avoiding the use of light-emitting digital devices before bedtime, avoiding caffeine or large meals before bedtime, and sleeping in a bedroom that is quiet, dark and at a comfortable temperature.17
