How much sleep is enough?

Day five and holding.

Let’s take a look at the motivation behind my resolutions so that you can decide whether to incorporate some of them into your personal list.

1. Set alarm for fifteen minutes earlier.

Notice I didn’t mention the specific time I wake up.

I’ve always required a lot of sleep—at least eight hours, preferably nine. My mother who was lax about most health habits held firm on an early bedtime. The habit stuck with me. When my college friends were burning the midnight oil, I was fast asleep with my earplugs firmly inserted. Since my oldest child left for college, I set my alarm at the embarrassingly late hour of 8:30 a.m. on days that I have nothing scheduled which is most days since I rigidly avoid early morning activities and appointments.

Turns out Mom was right. Authorities agree that most adults need 7-9 hours of quality sleep for optimal health and performance. Recent research indicates that not getting enough sleep can contribute to a multitude of problems—even cancer. “....individuals [who do not get enough sleep] are not only immune suppressed, but they are also at an increased risk of developing a number of different types of cancer.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19095474

Jim was always an early riser—awake at 5 or 5:30 for a three to five mile run and then off to work by 7. He slept soundly and insisted he only needed five or six hours. That may have been because of the cat naps he grabbed in the middle of conversations, during movies, and, most alarmingly, while driving down the road. Now I wonder if those years of sleep deprivation contributed to the onset of lung cancer.

Why, then, if sleep is so important, am I beginning the year with the intention of getting less? Time management. I don’t think I’ll miss the fifteen minutes and I can use that time for some of my other resolutions.You, on the other hand, may need more sleep.

If you are a caregiver, sleep is essential to combat stress. If you are fighting cancer, sleep is essential to healing. Tomorrow I will give you some tips for getting a good night’s sleep.