Should I be worried about how long I sleep?

Of all the things to worry about in life, sleep is perhaps the most pernicious. Most of the things you can directly control (your alcohol consumption, your Twitter use, your exercise regimen) or cannot (pollution, bee kills, the malicious artificial intelligence). But sleep is right in the middle: even if you feel like you're giving yourself enough, are you really? Is this the right type? And then, of course, there's always the fear that the worry itself is a problem - by stressing yourself out about closing your eyes, you're making it worse?

First, take a deep breath. To start with the basics: if you get between seven and nine hours a night, you're probably fine. “Some people can get away with as little as six hours a night, or may need as many as 10, but these are usually extreme cases,” says Jason Carter, dean of the Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences at Baylor University. "I would start to worry about constantly sleeping less than seven hours a night, and really worried if it dropped to six or less."

Regarding the Donald Trumps and Margaret Thatchers of the world, proudly claiming that they burned the midnight oil to fulfill all their responsibilities, is not good news: "According to multiple empirical studies, even those who sleep four hours cause probably cardiovascular and metabolic damage to the body," says Carter. "It can take years to show up, even if they seem to be performing well on a day-to-day basis."

But when is that starting to become a problem? After all, many people have the occasional work sprint - or a baby - and go days or even months without working their normal hours." A random day of time in time is not something Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge, director of Columbia University's Center of Excellence for Sleep and Circadian Research. "That's what we would call transient insomnia. Chronic insomnia happens when you go three or more months without regular sleep, and that's when I would start to worry.

"A useful definition of overall sleep health is the RU-Sated framework, which assesses six key dimensions of sleep that have been consistently associated with health outcomes. These are sleep regularity, sleep satisfaction, alertness during waking hours, sleep timing, sleep efficiency and sleep duration.

Of course, there's a difference between not even giving yourself a chance for a good night's sleep - browsing Netflix until 2 a.m., for example – and having a restless night. "If you wake up often at night, it will impact the quantity and quality of your sleep, which can lead to compromises in your immune system, reduced gut health, and many other harmful side effects," says Christopher Barker, a personal trainer and sleep management consultant. "This may be an indicator of a sleep disorder or other underlying health condition - if you are concerned about any of these issues it is worth speaking to your doctor."< /p>

So what's your best bet for catching quality Zs? Well, start during the day. "Try to be in the sun during the day to keep your circadian rhythms on track," says St-Onge. Physical activity can also help: "Sleep and exercise have a two-way relationship," says Barker. “In a 2013 survey, participants who engaged in vigorous physical activity tended to fall asleep faster, woke up less during the night, and woke up rested, compared to non-athletes. »

When it's time to go to bed, make sure you go to bed at a reasonably consistent time and keep your sleep hygiene in good shape. "You should try to keep your weekend routine within an hour or two of the weekday routine and keep it very consistent," says Carter. “I would also suggest keeping your bedroom free of electronics and keeping it cool and dark. which reduces the emission of blue light which can interfere with sleep.Ideally keep all your devices off for an hour before bedtime.proof that it activates your parasympathetic nervous system and calms you, making it the perfect way to relax before bed.